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THE   STORY   OF 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


BY 

M.  CHARLES  JEANNEL, 

PROFESSOR   OF  PHILOSOPHY   IN   THE   ROYAL   COLLEGE   OF  POITIERS 


My  little  children,  love  one  another."— St.  John,  c.  18. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  FRENCH 

BY      F.    G.    SKINNER. 


NEW  YORK: 
D.  APPLETON  &  COMPANY,  200  BROADWAY, 

PHILADELPHIA: 

GEO.  S.  APPLETON,  164  CHESNUT-STREET. 

M  DCCC  XLIX. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1848, 

By  D.  APPLETON  &  COMPANY, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


DEDICATION 

TO 

AMERICAN    MOTHERS. 


The  volume  here  presented  is  respectfully  recom- 
mended for  your  own  use,  in  the  education  of  your 
children  at  the  critical  age  when  the  mind  is  most 
susceptible  of  lasting  impressions,  and  when  the  char- 
acter, as  it  may  be  said,  is  taking  its  bent  for  life. 

Happy  and  fortunate  for  them,  they  are  yet  gener- 
ally under  the  care  and  vigilance  of  the  mother,  to 
whom  every  benevolent  heart  will  desire  to  give  all 
possible  "  aid  and  comfort"  in  the  performance  of  an 
office  the  most  important  for  the  well-being  of  so- 
ciety ! 

Under  the  simple  title  of  Little- John,  a  foundling, 
this  work  has  been  so  prepared,  by  a  scholar  of  emi- 
nent learning  and  piety,  in  reference  both  to  style  and 
topics  as  that,  while  your  children  are  learning  to 
read  even  at  the  tenderest  age,  their  minds  will  be 
impressed  with  useful  knowledge,  and  the  soundest 
principles  of  morality  and  virtue. 

1* 


DEDICATION   TO  AMERICAN  MOTHERS. 


With  these  true  objects  of  a  sound  education  con- 
stantly in  view,  the  accomplished  author  has  employed 
original  fables  to  amuse,  and  biographical  sketches, 
drawn  chiefly  from  Scripture,  of  men  and  women 
distinguished  for  wisdom  and  piety. 

The  work  was  originally  published  only  last  year, 
and  being  sent  to  me  from  Paris,  has  been  translated 
by  my  son,  F.  G.  Skinner,  at  my  suggestion,  for  the 
benefit  of  his  own  children ;  and  is  now  offered  to  all 
American  mothers,  in  the  persuasion  of  its  remarkable 
adaptation  to  the  ends,  and  to  children  of  the  age  here 
mentioned. 

In  that  belief  I  humbly  venture  to  recommend  to 
you  the  story  of  Little-John,  as  peculiarly  fitted  at 
once  to  amuse  and  instruct — "  to  wake  the  genius  and 
to  mend  the  heart." 

F.  S.  Skinner. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

I.— Discovery  of  Little- John . 9 

II.— Early  Education  of  Little- John 12 

III.— A  Quarrel 14 

IV.— History  of  Joseph. 16 

V.— Bread 24 

VI.— Dreams 29 

VII.— History  of  Moses 32 

VIII.-Labor 37 

IX.— The  Crow  and  the  Cat-Bird— Fable 38 

X.— The  Farmer  and  his  Children— Fable 41 

XL— Story  of  Ruth 42 

XII— Alms 46 

XIII.— Theft 49 

XI V— Uncle  Tom 53 

XV.— The  Mill 54 

XVI— The  Respect  due  to  Old  Age 57 

XVII -The  Blind  Man's  Stick 60 

XVIII— Story  of  David. 62 

XIX.-The  Sabbath 66 

XX— Story  of  Joash 67 

XXL— The  Swallow's  Nest 71 

XXII.— Houses 78 

XXIII.— Ghosts 83 

XXIV.-StoryofTobit 87 

XXV— Filial  Piety 94 

XXVL-Iron 96 

XXVIL— The  Lamb 100 

XXVIII.-Rain 102 

XXIX.— The  Burnt-House 106 

XXX— Christmas Ill 

XXXI. -Snow 115 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PAGE. 

XXXII.-The  Fagot  of  Wood 120 

Story  of  Naboth 122 

XXXIII.-The  Half-Dollar 125 

Story  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira 127 

XXXIV.-Story  of  Eleazer 131 

XXXV— Clothing 133 

XXXVI.— The  Fight 138 

XXXVII.— The  Maccabees 142 

XXXVIII.-General  Washington 149 

XXXIX— Sailing  in  a  Boat 153 

XL— The  Sun 155 

XLI— The  Storm 169 

XLII—  Thunder 173 

XLIII.— The  Conflagration 177 

XLIV— Water 181 

XLV.— Insects 184 

XLVI.— Benjamin  Franklin ]91 

XLVIL— Death  of  Margaret 194 

XL VIII.— End  of  Little- John's  History 197 


LITTLE-JOHN, 


CHAPTER   I. 
DISCOVERY  OF  LITTLE- JOHN. 

Little  Louisa  went  out  one  morning  very  early 
to  get  some  milk  at  a  farmer's  house  that  was  near 
the  village.  Louisa  was  an  obedient  child,  and  when 
her  grandmother  told  her  to  do  any  thing,  she  not 
only  did  it  cheerfully  and  quietly,  but  as  well  as  she 
knew  how.  As  the  good  Margaret  the  day  before 
had  told  her  to  go  very  early  for  the  milk,  she  had 
gotten  up  before  the  sun,  had  dressed  herself  all  alone, 
and  had  slipped  out  very  quietly,  for  fear  of  disturb- 
ing the  good  old  woman,  who  was  still  asleep. 

The  weather  was  fine,  the  sky  was  blue,  and  the 
air  sweet  and  fresh  ;  the  rising  sun  was  just  gilding 
the  spire  of  the  village  church,  and  the  tops  of  the 
tallest  trees.  Louisa  was  skipping  joyously  upon  the 
flowering  grass,  carrying  in  her  hand  a  tin  bucket 
which  she  always  kept  scoured  as  bright  as  silver. 
All  at  once,  as  she  passed  the  church  door,  she  re- 
membered that  she  had  not  said  her  prayers. 


10  LITTLE-JOHN. 


She  knew  that  it  was  wrong  ever  to  commence 
the  day  without  first  praying  to  God ;  God,  that  kind 
indulgent  father,  who  takes  care  of  us  and  gives  us 
every  thing  that  we  require.  She  knew,  too,  that 
God  loves  little  children  that  pray  with  all  their 
hearts ;  that  he  watches  over  and  protects  them 
night  and  day  ;  and  that  he  blesses  their  parents  on 
their  account.  She  turned  aside  then  into  the  grave- 
yard, and  kneeling  beneath  a  tree,  said  her  prayers 
aloud,  pronouncing  each  word  distinctly,  as  her  grand- 
mother had  taught  her.  As  she  was  rising  from  her 
knees,  she  heard  quite  near  her  a  low  cry  :  she  turned, 
and  perceived  something  white,  partly  concealed  by 
the  branches  of  a  weeping-willow.  Stepping  to  the 
spot,  and  putting  aside  the  high  weeds,  she  was  sur- 
prised to  see  a  little  child  lying  in  a  basket.  The  poor 
little  fellow  had  just  awoke,  and  was  crying  for  his 
mother.  Louisa  felt  his  little  hands — they  were  very 
cold  ;  and  his  frock  was  damp  with  dew.  When,  how- 
ever, he  saw  Louisa's  pretty  little  face  near  him,  he 
ceased  crying,  and  stretched  out  his  little  hands  to 
her. 

"  Poor  little  fellow,"  said  she,  "  where  is  your  mo- 
ther?" 

But  the  child  could  not  answer  her.  All  he  could 
say  was,  "  Ma  !  ma !"  and  two  or  three  other  words 
that  Louisa  could  not  understand.  She  tried  to  lift 
him  up — he  was  very  heavy  ;  she  succeeded,  how- 
ever, in  getting  him  out  of  the  basket,  and  with  a  good 


LITTLE- JOHN.  11 


deal  of  trouble  carried  him  to  her  grandmother's  cot- 
tage, that  was  not  far  from  the  church. 

Margaret  was  very  much  astonished  to  see  the  little 
fellow.  She  took  off  his  wet  clothes,  and  wrapped 
him  up  in  a  warm  blanket,  and  gave  him  some  break- 
fast ;  then  she  went  all  over  the  village  to  endeavor 
to  find  out  whose  child  he  was,  but  she  could  learn 
nothing  about  him  ;  whereupon  she  returned  home, 
and  said  to  her  grand-daughter — 

"  Louisa,  this  is  a  brother  that  God  has  sent  you. 
As  the  poor  child's  parents  cannot  be  found,  it  seems 
to  be  God's  will  that  we  should  take  care  of  him.  I 
was  already  an  old  and  infirm  woman,  when  your  poor 
mother  died,  and  you  were  but  a  few  months  old.  I 
thought  that  I  never  should  be  able  to  take  care  of 
you,  and  to  labor  for  your  support  and  my  own  ;  but 
with  God's  help  I  succeeded.  Now  you  are  quite  a 
tall  girl ;  you  will  help  me  to  take  care  of  this  poor 
orphan,  and  heaven  will  bless  us  for  his  sake." 

Little  Louisa  was  delighted,  and  commenced  at  once 
to  call  the  child  her  dear  little  brother. 

Old  Margaret  had  him  christened  Little-John, 
after  a  son  of  hers  that  she  had  lost. 


12  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER   II. 

EARLY  EDUCATION  OF  LITTLE-JOHN. 

Little-John  was  reared  in  Margaret's  cottage. 
Louisa  nursed  him  like  a  kind  and  affectionate  sister. 
At  bedtime  she  sat  near  his  cradle,  and  sang  him  to 
sleep.  When  he  was  awake,  she  had  a  thousand  little 
ways  of  amusing  him  :  when  he  cried,  she  knew  how 
to  quiet  him ;  when  she  had  cake  or  fruit,  she  shared 
it  with  him.  She  taught  him  not  only  to  stand  alone, 
and  to  walk,  but  every  thing  else  that  a  child  of  his 
age  could  learn.  The  little  fellow  grew  apace,  and 
was  healthy,  robust,  and  very  intelligent  for  his  age. 
He  was  as  gay  and  lively  as  a  little  bird,  fond  of  talk- 
ing, and  constantly  asking  questions  about  things  that 
he  did  not  understand.  When  spring  came,  Little- John 
was  delighted :  the  green  landscape,  the  flowers,  the 
trees  covered  with  young  leaves,  the  singing  birds,  the 
clear  sky,  the  brilliant  sun,  every  thing  seemed  new, 
and  filled  him  with  ardor  and  gayety.  He  ran  about 
the  fields,  and  jumped  and  rolled  upon  the  grass  like 
the  little  lambs  that  let  him  come  close  to  them  with- 
out being  frightened  ;  he  gathered  beautiful  flowers, 
that  he  tied  in  bunches  for  Louisa  and  her  grandmo- 
ther, and  then  he  would  ask  questions  without  end  : 
"  Who  made  the  sun  ?  what  is  it  good  for  ?  who  made 
the  sheep,  the  trees,  the  birds  ?  why  is  there  so  much 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


13 


grass  in  the  fields  ?"  and  a  hundred  other  such  ques- 
tions. The  good  old  Margaret  would  reply  to  him — 
"  My  child,  God  made  all  these  things :  the  sun,  the 
earth,  the  woods,  the  meadows,  the  mountains,  the 
trees,  all  the  plants,  all  the  animals,  all  are  his  works. 
He  made  ourselves,  and  the  other  things  for  us.  The 
sun  gives  us  light  and  warms  us ;  the  earth  pro- 
duces all  the  plants  that  we  eat,  and  that  the  animals 
eat.  The  animals  themselves  are  useful  to  us  in  many 
ways.  A  great  many  are  valuable  either  as  food  or 
on  account  of  their  skins  and  furs.  As  to  us,  God 
gave  us  our  bodies :  he  himself  made  our  limbs,  our 
hands,  our  eyes,  our  mouths,  our  feet ;  but  with  this 
he  gave  us  a  soul  that  thinks,  which  he  did  not  do  for 
any  other  creature.     This  soul  is  capable  of  knowing 

2 


14  LITTLE-JOHN. 


God,  of  loving  and  adoring  him  ;  and  it  is  for  this 
that  he  created  us.  So  most  of  the  things  that  are  in 
the  world  were  created  for  us  ;  but  we  were  created 
for  God." 

When  Little- John  heard  all  this,  he  loved  our  Heav- 
enly Father  with  all  his  heart.  He  learned  to  say  his 
prayers,  and  to  thank  God  each  day,  for  all  the  good 
things  that  he  had  given  us ;  and  whenever  he  was 
doing  any  thing  wrong,  they  had  but  to  tell  him  that 
it  was  displeasing  to  God,  and  he  stopped  imme- 
diately. 

Little  Louisa  told  him  that  God  loved  children  that 
were  good,  and  obedient  to  their  parents.  Ever  after 
he  did  all  he  could  to  please  old  Margaret,  and  even 
tried  to  guess  what  she  wished,  that  he  might  do  it 
before  she  asked  him. 


CHAPTER   III. 

A  QUARREL. 

Though  Little-John  tried  to  be  a  good  boy,  he  had 
some  faults.  He  was  passionate — too  quick  to  an- 
ger ;  and  when  he  met  a  little  boy  that  he  did  not  like, 
he  was  very  apt  to  quarrel  with  and  fight  him. 

One  day  his  grandmother  sent  him  to  a  neighbor's 
with  a  basket  of  apples.     As  he  was  going  along  he 


LITTLE-JOHN.  15 


met  a  bad  boy,  who  struck  him,  and  knocked  the  bas- 
ket of  apples  over  into  the  mud.  As  the  boy  was 
twice  as  strong  as  John,  and  twice  as  old,  John  ran 
home,  but  he  was  furious.  He  walked  up  and  down 
the  room,  doubling  his  fists,  and  saying,  "  I  won't  al- 
ways be  small :  I'll  grow  big !  I'll  let  the  rascal  see ! 
I'll  pay  him  for  it !" 

Louisa,  when  she  understood  what  was  the  matter, 
took  his  hand,  and  said  to  him  in  her  mild  voice — 

"  Little-John,  we  must  not  revenge  ourselves ;  did 
you  not  hear  grandma  Margaret  say,  that  we  must 
always  return  good  for  evil  ?" 

"  But,"  replied  Little- John,  "  what  did  he  hit  me  first 
for  ?  I  was  not  troubling  him.  Never  mind,  when  I 
get  big  I'll  pay  him  for  it !" 

"  Don't  talk  so,  John,"  said  Louisa,  trying  to  con- 
sole him  ;  "because  that  boy  behaved  badly,  must  you 
do  so  too  ?  Don't  you  know  that  God  will  punish  the 
wicked,  and  that  he  will  reward  us  if  we  are  good  ? 
Don't  do  as  the  wicked  do,  for  there  is  never  any 
pleasure  in  doing  wrong.  Remember  how  happy  you 
were  the  day  you  gave  your  breakfast  to  that  poor 
boy,  whose  mother  had  no  bread  to  give  him  ;  do  you 
think  you  would  have  been  any  happier  if  you  had 
beaten  the  worst  boy  in  the  village  ?" 

Little-John  did  not  say  any  thing,  but  he  still  pout- 
ed, and  looked  vexed. 

"  Come  and  sit  down  here,"  added  Louisa  ;  "  while 
I  am  at  work  I  will  tell  you  a  pretty  story." 


16  LITTLE-JOHN. 


As  Little-John  was  very  fond  of  stories,  he  made 
haste  to  take  a  seat,  and  she  commenced  the  story  of 
Joseph. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

HISTORY  OF  JOSEPH. 

"  There  was  a  good  old  man  named  Jacob  ;  he  had 
twelve  children ;  the  youngest  was  named  Benjamin, 
and  the  next  to  the  youngest,  Joseph.  This  little  Jo- 
seph was  so  gentle,  so  good,  and  so  obedient,  that  his 
father  loved  him  very  dearly,  and  gave  him  a  beautiful 
coat  of  many  colors.  His  brothers,  who  were  very 
wicked,  became  jealous  of  him.  One  day  Joseph  saw 
them  doing  something  wrong,  and  told  his  father  of  it : 
he  reproved  them  for  it,  but  instead  of  minding  what 
their  father  told  them,  they  got  very  angry  with  Jo- 
seph. 

"  One  day  his  father  said  to  him,  'My  son,  your  bro- 
thers are  a  long  way  off  in  the  fields  minding  the 
flocks,  you  must  go  and  see  how  they  all  come  on.' 
As  Joseph  was  very  obedient,  he  set  out  immediately 
to  do  what  his  father  told  him.  As  soon  as  his  brothers 
saw  him  coming,  they  said  to  each  other,  '  There  is 
Joseph  coming,  let  us  kill  him/  But  one  of  them,  not 
so  wicked  as  the  others,  and  who  wanted  to  save  him, 


LITTLE-JOHN.  17 


said  to  them,  '  Don't  let  us  kill  him,  we  had  better 
throw  him  in  that  deep  hole  yonder.'  All  the  brothers 
agreed  to  it,  and  accordingly  seized  Joseph,  took  off 
his  coat,  and  threw  him  into  a  deep  hole  half  full  of 
mud  and  water.  After  that  they  began  to  eat,  and 
while  they  were  eating,  they  saw  some  merchants  go- 
ing by,  who  bought  and  sold  slaves.  They  then  pulled 
Joseph  out  of  the  hole  in  which  they  had  thrown  him, 
and  sold  him  to  the  slave-dealers.  They  next  killed  a 
kid,  sprinkled  the  blood  all  over  Joseph's  coat,  and 
sent  it  to  their  father  with  a  message,  stating  that  they 
had  found  the  coat  all  bloody,  and  inquiring  if  it  did 
not  belong  to  Joseph.  As  soon  as  Jacob  saw  the  coat 
he  recognised  it,  and  threw  himself  down,  crying  out, 
all  in  tears,  '  My  poor  Joseph  !  some  cruel  wild  beast 
has  devoured  my  son !'  and  poor  old  Jacob  mourned 
for  his  son  for  a  long  time,  thinking  he  was  dead. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  the  merchants  that  had  bought 
Joseph  carried  him  away  to  a  country  very  far  off, 
called  Egypt.  There  they  sold  him  to  a  great  man  of 
the  country,  named  Potiphar.  This  man  took  a  great 
liking  to  Joseph,  and  made  him  his  head  servant,  put- 
ting him  over  all  the  others ;  but  Potiphar's  wife  was 
a  very  bad  woman,  and  told  her  husband  so  many  sto- 
ries on  Joseph,  that  the  poor  fellow  was  put  in  prison. 
Joseph  was  very  unhappy— far  away  from  home,  hav- 
ing neither  relations  nor  friends  to  console  him ;  but 
his  father  had  taught  him  to  pray  to  God,  and  he  knew 
that  God  always  hears  those  of  his  children  that  call 

2* 


18  LITTLE-JOHN. 


on  him  in  affliction.  So  Joseph  put  his  trust  in  God, 
and  God  descended  into  his  prison  and  comforted 
him. 

"  God  caused  the  jailer  to  love  Joseph,  and  he  em- 
ployed him  in  carrying  the  prisoners  their  food.  It 
happened  that  among  them  were  two  officers  of  the 
king  of  Egypt,  whom  Joseph  visited  as  he  did  the  oth- 
ers. One  morning  he  found  them  sorrowful,  because 
they  had  had  dreams  in  the  night  that  made  them  very 
uneasy.  God  enabled  Joseph  to  tell  them  wThat  these 
dreams  meant.  He  told  one  of  them  that  he  would 
soon  be  put  to  death,  and  the  other  that  the  king  would 
pardon  him,  and  let  him  out  of  prison  in  three  days  ; 
and  it  happened  just  as  he  had  told  them. 

"  Some  time  after  this  the  king  of  Egypt,  who  was 
named  Pharaoh,  had  a  strange  dream  himself,  that  no- 
body could  explain.  The  officer  who  had  been  in  jail 
with  Joseph  then  thought  of  his  dream,  spoke  to  the 
king  about  it,  and  the  king  ordered  Joseph  to  be 
brought  before  him.  Joseph  was  accordingly  taken 
out  of  prison,  dressed  in  a  suit  of  fine  clothes,  and  ap- 
peared before  the  king.  God  again  enabled  him  to 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  king's  dream.  He  told 
the  king  that  for  seven  years  there  would  be  a  great 
deal  more  grain  raised  than  would  be  used ;  and  that 
for  the  next  seven  the  harvest  would  fail  entirely,  and 
the  people  be  in  great  danger  of  starving.  Pha- 
raoh asked  him  if  there  would  be  no  means  of  pre- 
venting this  misfortune  ?     Joseph   replied  :  '  Choose, 


LITTLE-JOHN.  19 


O  King,  a  wise  and  prudent  man  ;  give  him  great  au- 
thority throughout  your  whole  kingdom,  so  that  he 
may  be  able  during  the  seven  years  of  abundance  to 
collect  and  put  away  sufficient  grain  to  feed  the  peo- 
ple during  the  seven  years  of  scarcity.'  The  king 
thought  Joseph's  advice  very  good,  and  said  to  him, 
'  You  yourself  are  that  wise  and  prudent  man,  and  I 
choose  you  to  rule  my  people  ;'  at  the  same  time  he 
took  off  his  gold  ring,  put  it  on  Joseph's  finger,  and 
made  him  sit  on  a  throne  near  his  own ;  and  he  gave 
Joseph  a  fine  house,  servants  to  wait  on  him,  horses, 
carriages,  and  all  kinds  of  riches,  and  he  became  the 
greatest  man  in  Egypt  next  to  the  king. 

"Joseph  ordered  granaries  and  storehouses  to  be 
built,  and  for  seven  years  laid  in  enormous  supplies 
of  grain.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the  corn  and  wheat 
crops  began  to  fail,  not  only  in  Egypt,  but  throughout 
the  whole  world.  Jacob  having  no  longer  any  bread 
to  feed  his  children,  called  them  to  him,  and  said  :  '  I 
have  heard  that  there  is  in  Egypt  a  very  wise  and  a 
very  powerful  governor,  who  has  a  great  quantity  of 
grain  for  sale  ;  get  ready,  my  children,  go  to  this  man, 
and  buy  as  much  as  we  are  in  need  of.' 

"Jacob's  sons  all  set  out  for  Egypt ;  and  when  they 
got  there,  they  appeared  before  Joseph,  who  was  so 
much  changed  since  his  brothers  had  seen  him  that 
they  did  not  know  him  ;  but  Joseph  knew  them  at 
once :  he  said  nothing,  however,  for  he  wanted  to 
know  what  had  become  of  his  father  and  his  little 


20  LITTLE-JOHN. 


brother  Benjamin,  and  he  wanted  also  to  know,  if  his 
brothers  were  as  wicked  as  ever. 

"  He  pretended  to  take  them  for  bad  people  with 
evil  intentions ;  he  spoke  to  them  with  severity,  and 
threatened  to  put  them  in  prison.  Jacob's  children 
were  very  much  frightened.  They  said  to  each  other, 
in  their  own  language,  which  they  thought  no  one  about 
them  understood,  '  God  is  punishing  us  now  for  the 
wrong  we  did  our  brother  Joseph.  Do  you  remem- 
ber how  cruel  we  were,  when  he  begged  us  with  tears 
in  his  eyes  not  to  sell  him,  and  we  would  not  listen  to 
him?  Now  God  will  refuse  to  hear  our  prayers.' 
Joseph  hearing  them  talk  in  this  manner,  could  not 
help  crying,  and  went  out  to  hide  his  tears.  He  had 
them  put  in  jail  for  three  days  :  he  then  told  them  to 
return  to  their  father's,  and  that  he  would  stilt  keep 
one  of  them  a  prisoner  until  they  returned  to  him  with 
their  youngest  brother ;  at  the  same  time  he  ordered 
his  people  to  let  them  have  the  grain  they  came  for, 
but  to  conceal  the  money  that  they  paid  for  it  in  their 
bags.  He  gave  them  also  provisions  for  their  jour- 
ney, and  they  set  out  on  their  return.  When  they 
got  home  they  found  their  money  in  their  bags  with 
the  grain.  'My  children,'  said  Jacob,  'there  seems 
to  be  some  mistake  about  this  money  ;  you  must  take 
great  care  of  it,  and  return  it  to  the  governor  of  Egypt, 
for  it  is  his,  and  not  ours.'  Then  his  children  told  him 
all  that  had  happened  to  them,  and  when  he  under- 
stood that  one  of  them  had  been  detained  until  they 


LITTLE- JOHN.  21 


took  back  Benjamin,  he  was  very  much  grieved,  say- 
ing, that  Joseph  was  dead,  Simeon  a  prisoner,  and 
that  now  they  wanted  to  take  away  Benjamin  ;  that 
they  wished  to  deprive  him  of  all  his  children.  For 
some  time  he  would  not  let  Benjamin  go,  for  fear  of 
his  meeting  with  some  accident. 

"  However,  after  awhile  bread  began  to  get  scarce 
again,  and  his  sons  begged  so  earnestly  to  let  Benja- 
min go  with  them,  that  he  at  last  consented,  on  their 
promising  to  take  great  care  of  him. 

"  The  first  thing  they  did,  on  their  arrival  in  Egypt, 
was  to  return  the  money  that  they  had  found  in  their 
bags ;  but  Joseph's  officers  would  not  take  it  back. 
They  then  presented  themselves  to  Joseph.  As  soon 
as  he  saw  his  little  brother  Benjamin,  he  felt  his  heart 
moved,  and  had  to  withdraw  to  conceal  his  tears.  He 
had  a  fine  dinner  prepared  for  his  brothers,  but  Ben- 
jamin had  five  times  as  many  good  things  as  the  others. 
After  that,  he  ordered  the  officers  to  give  them  the 
grain,  and  to  do  with  the  money  just  as  they  had  done 
before ;  and  he  told  them  to  take  his  cup,  without  say« 
ing  any  thing  about  it,  and  put  it  in  Benjamin's  bag. 
This  cup  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  goblets  ever 
seen — made  of  silver  and  gold — that  Joseph  was  in 
the  habit  of  using  himself. 

"They  were  no  sooner  gone  than  the  officers  pursued, 
overtook,  and  accused  them  of  robbing  their  master. 
Jacob's  sons  replied  :  '  We  have  not  been  guilty  of  so 
mean  an  action.     Look   for  yourselves,  search  our 


22  LITTLE-JOHN. 


things,  and  if  you  find  that  one  of  us  is  guilty,  you  may 
kill  him,  and  make  us  slaves.'  The  officers  soon  found 
the  cup  in  Benjamin's  wallet.  They  carried  him  off 
immediately;  and  his  brothers,  very  much  surprised 
and  deeply  afflicted,  returned  with  him  to  the  govern- 
or's. 

"As  soon  as  they  saw  Joseph,  they  threw  themselves 
at  his  feet,  saying :  '  We  implore  you  not  to  do  any 
harm  to  that  child.  Do  not  put  him  in  prison,  for 
should  we  return  to  our  country  without  him,  our  poor 
old  father  would  die  of  sorrow.'  One  of  them,  par- 
ticularly, named  Juda,  cried  out :  '  Take  me — let  me 
die  in  his  place,  for  our  father  confided  him  to  my 
care.'  Joseph,  hearing  them  talk  in  this  way,  could 
no  longer  conceal  himself.  Deeply  moved,  he  cried 
out :  '  I  am  Joseph :  is  my  father  still  alive  ?'  At  these 
words  the  brothers  were  seized  with  astonishment  and 
fright,  thinking  that  he  was  about  to  put  them  to  death. 
But  Joseph  stretched  out  his  arms  to  them,  and  said, 
in  a  mild  voice,  '  Come,  fear  nothing — I  forgive  you ;' 
and  he  kissed  them  all  with  great  tenderness.  He 
calmed  and  consoled  them,  and  promised  to  do  them 
all  the  good  in  his  power. 

"  When  old  Jacob  learned  that  his  son  Joseph  was 
still  alive,  he  would  not  believe  it ;  but  when  he  saw 
the  presents  that  had  been  given  to  his  sons,  and  the 
carriages  and  horses  that  had  been  sent  to  bring  him 
and  all  his  household,  he  turned  his  heart  to  God,  and 
thanked  him  for  allowing  him  to  live  to  enjoy  so  much 


LITTLE-JOHN.  23 


happiness;  and  when  he  arrived  in  Egypt,  he  was 
near  dying  of  joy  in  embracing  his  son  Joseph. 

"  The  king  of  Egypt  gave  Jacob  a  splendid  estate, 
and  Joseph  continued  to  do  good  to  his  brothers  as 
long  as  he  lived. 

"You  see,  Little- John,"  said  Louisa,  as  she  ended 
her  story,  "  though  all  this  happened  more  than  three 
thousand  years  ago,  people  still  talk  of  Joseph,  and 
how  good  and  generous  he  was  in  thus  forgiving  his 
wicked  brothers.  Do  you  think  he  wrould  have  de- 
served as  much  praise  if  he  had  revenged  himself  on 
them,  and  had  done  them  as  much  harm  as  they  did 
him  ?  And  do  you  not  feel  how  happy  Joseph  must 
have  been  when  he  kissed  his  brothers,  and  saw  them 
so  sorry  for  what  they  had  done  ?"  Little-  John  agreed 
with  her,  and  thought  Joseph's  a  beautiful  story,  and 
then  he  asked  her  a  great  many  questions  about  it. 


24  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER  V. 
BREAD. 

The  same  evening,  when  old  Margaret  had  seated 
herself  at  the  spining- wheel,  and  Louisa  had  taken  up 
her  sewing,  Little-John,  after  playing  about,  took  a 
seat  near  his  grandmother,  and  they  had  the  following 
conversation. 

Little-John.  That  is  a  very  pretty  story,  grandma, 
about  Joseph;  but  there  is  one  thing  in  it  I  don't  un- 
derstand ;  it  seems  to  me  that  instead  of  grain,  Jacob 
ought  to  have  taken  bread,  for  we  don't  eat  grain,  we 
eat  bread. 

Margaret.  Tell  me,  Little- John,  what  do  they  make 
bread  of? 

Little- John.  Bread  !  why,  the  baker  makes  bread. 

Margaret.  I  don't  ask  you  who  makes  bread,  but 
what  it  is  made  of. 

Little-John.  Now,  indeed,  grandma,  I  don't  know, 
for  I  have  never  thought  about  it ;  I  suppose  though  it 
must  be  with  grain,  as  Jacob  sent  to  buy  grain  during 
the  famine ;  but  please  tell  me  how  it  is  made,  for  if  a 
stranger  were  to  ask  me,  I  should  be  ashamed  not  to 
know. 

Margaret.  You  would  have  reason  to  be  ashamed, 
my  child  ;  there  are  some  things  that  we  ought  to  learn 
of  ourselves,  merely  by  reflecting  upon  what  we  see, 


LITTLE-JOHN.  25 


and  to  be  ignorant  of  such  things  shows  that  we  do 
not  think.  This  time,  however,  I  will  aid  you  to  find 
out  how  bread  is  made.  You  have  seen  ploughs  in  the 
field — large  pieces  of  iron  with  a  long  piece  of  wood 
on  the  top,  and  handles  to  it ;  the  iron  is  called  the 
mould-board,  and  the  long  piece  of  wood,  the  beam ; 
the  plough  is  drawn  by  horses  or  oxen  hitched  to  the 
end  of  the  beam,  and  guided  by  the  ploughman  holding 
the  handles. 

Little- John.  Yes,  grandma,  I  have  often  seen  ploughs, 
but  I  never  thought  of  looking  to  see  how  they  were 
made.  I  have  often  amused  myself,  sitting  on  the 
fence,  looking  at  the  ploughman  going  backwards  and 
forwards  through  the  field,  turning  up  the  earth,  but  I 
never  thought  much  about  it. 

Margaret.  With  the  plough  we  stir  the  earth  and 
turn  it  up  to  the  air  and  light,  for  without  these,  it  would 
scarcely  produce  any  thing  ;  and  it  is  only  after  hav- 
ing worked  it  several  times  and  covered  it  with  ma- 
nure, that  a  field  can  become  fertile  ;  for  man  must 
earn  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  When  the 
earth  has  been  well  worked  and  well  manured,  the 
seed  is  sown  upon  it  and  covered  up  by  means  of  a 
large  rake,  drawn  by  horses,  called  a  harrow.  Then, 
John,  a  wonderful  thing  occurs,  which  is  the  work  of 
God  alone,  and  which  the  wisest  men  know  little  more 
about  than  we  do  ;  by  means  of  the  heat  and  moisture 
this  seed,  covered  with  earth,  soon  swells  and  gets 
soft.  In  eight  or  ten  days  it  bursts,  and  a  small  root 
3 


26  LITTLE-JOHN. 


descends  into  the  earth  and  a  small  stalk  comes  up  at 
the  surface.  The  seed  does  not  rot,  as  one  would  sup- 
pose. As  it  softens,  it  changes  into  a  juice  which  is 
the  first  food,  the  milk  as  it  were,  of  the  young  plant. 
After,  as  the  plant  becomes  stronger,  it  finds  in  the 
earth  and  the  air  the  food  that  it  requires.  The  spring 
rains  make  it  grow  very  rapidly — the  earth  is  then  cov- 
ered with  verdure ;  but  as  the  heat  of  the  sun  increases, 
the  stalks  turn  yellow,  each  grain  produces  one  or  more 
heads,  which  in  some  become  of  a  beautiful  golden 
color,  as  you  have  seen  it  in  the  fields  at  harvest. 
Each  head  contains  thirty,  forty,  fifty,  or  more  grains, 
so  that  by  sowing  a  bushel  of  seed,  we  may  sometimes 
gather  twenty,  thirty,  forty,  fifty  bushels.  But  as  a  great 
deal  of  the  seed  is  often  devoured  by  birds  and  insects, 
we  should  be  satisfied  to  gather  twenty  or  thirty  times 
as  much  as  wTe  sow.  Thus  you  see,  Little-John,  God's 
providence  provides  for  our  subsistence.  Would  we 
not  be  very  ungrateful  did  we  not  every  morning  and 
evening  pray,  and  return  thanks  to  that  good  Father 
who  wTatches  every  moment  over  our  harvests,  without 
which  we  should  miserably  perish  with  want  and  hun- 
ger ? 

Little-John.  Oh !  I  will  never  forget  to  ask  the  good 
God,  when  I  say  my  prayers,  to  give  us  good  harvests. 
Now,  grandma,  tell  me  how  they  make  bread  with  the 
wheat  ? 

Margaret.  After  they  have  threshed  the  grain  out, 
and  separated  it  from  the  straw,  as  you  have  seen 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


27 


them  clo  in  the  barn,  they  carry  it  to  the  mill  to  be 
crushed  and  reduced  to  flour.  They  then  wet  this 
flour  with  water,  to  make  it  into  dough  ;  when  the 
dough  is  well  worked,  they  put  a  little  yeast  into  it,  and 
then  make  it  into  the  shape  they  wish  the  bread  to  be. 

Little- John.  But  I  don't  know  what  yeast  is. 

Margaret.  It  is  generally  dough  which  becomes 
sour  after  keeping  it  several  days.  The  yeast  makes 
the  dough  rise  ;  that  is  to  say,  it  fills  it  with  a  multi- 
tude of  little  holes  or  bubbles  which  prevent  the  bread 
from  becoming  heavy  and  solid,  for  then  it  would  be 
difficult  to  bake  and  digest. 


28  LITTLE-JOIIN. 


Little-John.  How  can  yeast  make  all  these  little 
bubbles  ? 

Margaret.  That  is  a  thing,  my  child,,  that  you  are 
almost  too  young  to  understand.  I  have  been  told 
that  the  yeast  gives  out  in  the  dough  a  small  quantity 
of  a  certain  kind  of  air  which  lifts  the  dough  up,  and 
puffs  it  out  without  being  strong  enough  to  escape  al- 
together. When  the  dough  is  puffed  out  in  this  way, 
or  risen,  as  the  bakers  call  it,  it  is  put  into  the  oven, 
and  by  means  of  heat  is  baked  until  done. 

Little-John.  Thank  you,  grandma.  I  know  now 
how  bread  is  made  ;  but,  if  it  is  not  too  late,  I  want 
to  ask  you  another  thing.  You  told  me  that  they  car- 
ried the  wheat  to  mill  to  crush  it,  and  make  it  into 
flour.  Every  time  I  go  down  to  the  brook,  and  see 
the  mill,  I  am  very  curious  to  know  what  it  is  that 
makes  such  a  noise  ;  it  is  very  amusing,  too,  to  see 
the  big  wheel  turning  and  the  water  splashing  over 
it,  but  I  have  always  been  afraid  to  go  in  and  see  the 
works  inside. 

Margaret.  I  will  explain  all  that  to  you,  my  child ; 
but  it  is  time  now  to  say  our  prayers,  and  go  to  bed : 
there  is  a  time  for  all  things.  So  we  will  talk  about 
the  mill  another  time.  There  is  old  Uncle  Tom  :  he 
and  the  miller  are  great  friends.  Ask  him  to  take  you 
to  the  mill ;  on  the  spot  you  will  learn  more  about  it 
in  five  minutes  than  I  could  tell  you  in  an  hour. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  29 


CHAPTER   VI. 

DREAMS. 

They  often  talked  in  Margaret's  cottage  of  the  his- 
tory of  Joseph,  and  the  good  grandmother  made  her 
children  observe  how  hateful  a  vice  jealousy  was,  as 
it  urged  men  to  commit  such  horrible  crimes  as  Jo- 
seph's brothers  were  guilty  of.  Whereupon  the  con- 
versation commenced. 

Little- John.  As  Joseph  was  determined  to  pardon 
his  brothers,  why  was  he  so  long  about  it  ?  Why  did 
he  frighten  them  so  by  pretending  that  little  Benjamin 
had  robbed  him  ? 

Louisa.  Don't  you  see,  Little-John,  that  he  wanted 
to  try  them,  to  see  if  they  were  as  wicked  as  ever. 
When  he  saw  them  begging  on  their  knees  to  die  in 
Benjamin's  stead,  he  knew  at  once  that  they  were 
changed,  and  he  discovered  himself  to  them. — But, 
grandma,  tell  me  one  thing,  if  you  please  ;  you  re- 
member that  two  of  the  king's  officers  had  dreams  that 
foretold  what  was  to  happen  to  them  ;  why  then  did 
you  laugh  the  other  day  at  poor  Maria,  who  was  so 
sad  because  she  had  dreamt  of  a  wedding  ?  She  said 
it  was  a  sure  sign  of  death,  and  you  said,  "  Fie,  Ma- 
ria, don't  talk  such  nonsense  ;  dreams  have  no  mean- 
ing ;"  yet  you  see  that  that  of  Pharaoh  meant  some- 
thing. 

3* 


30  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Margaret.  My  child,  God  wished  to  reward  Jo- 
seph's fidelity  and  patience,  and  he  wished  to  prove 
to  him  that  he  never  abandons  those  who  pray  to  him 
sincerely,  and  put  their  trust  in  him  ;  therefore  he  sent 
these  dreams  to  Pharaoh  and  his  officers,  and  he  enabled 
Joseph  to  interpret  them.  It  is  a  means  that  God  has 
sometimes  used;  but  generally  dreams  are  insignificant, 
none  but  the  ignorant  ever  seek  to  interpret  them. 
Not  only  is  it  foolish,  but  it  is  wrong,  for  God  has  for- 
bidden us  to  pry  into  the  future. 

"  Why  has  he  forbidden  it  ?"  asked  both  children  at 
once. 

Margaret.  My  dear  children,  when  God  orders  or 
forbids  us  do  any  thing,  it  is  not  for  us  to  question  it : 
we  must  always  remember  that  he  is  wisdom  itself, 
and  that  consequently  he  has  always  the  best  reasons 
for  his  commands,  though  we  may  not  understand 
them.  But  I  will  tell  you,  if  you  wish,  why  he  forbids 
our  seeing  into  futurity  ;  it  is  because  it  would  make 
us  very  unhappy. 

Louisa.  How  could  it  render  us  unhappy  ? 

Margaret.  Because  we  would  no  longer  have  the 
heart  to  strive  for  a  good  or  to  avoid  an  evil  known 
beforehand  ;  a  benefit  that  we  know  must  come  would 
be  without  enjoyment,  while  the  fear  of  an  evil,  with- 
out any  possible  means  of  avoiding  or  putting  it  off, 
would  greatly  increase  our  suffering. 

Louisa.  But  there  are  people  who  can  tell  what  is 
to  happen.     Fortune-tellers,  and  those  who  interpret 


LITTLE-JOHN.  31 


the  cards  ;  these  people,  then,  must  make  us  un- 
happy ? 

Margaret.  No,  my  daughter ;  God  alone  can  see 
into  futurity.  Those  who  pretend  to  do  so  are  im- 
postors ;  and  what  is  more,  they  are  rogues,  for  they 
take  money  from  the  credulous  who  consult  them, 
without  knowing  more  about  the  matter  than  they  do, 

Louisa.  But  Maria  is  not  a  liar ;  well,  she  can  tell 
when  any  misfortune  is  to  happen  to  her.  She  told 
me  that  she  broke  her  looking-glass  just  the  day  be- 
fore her  mother's  house  was  burnt. 

Margaret.  You  believe,  then,  that  the  house  would 
not  have  taken  fire  if  she  had  not  broken  her  glass. 
If  breaking  any  thing  were  to  occasion  such  sad  dis- 
asters, careless,  clumsy  people  would  be  very  much 
to  be  pitied.  Fortunately  it  is  not  so.  You  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  miller's  niece,  Jane  ;  she  is  a  great 
deal  more  careless  than  you  are,  though  much  older. 
Well,  scarcely  a  week  passes  without  her  breaking 
something,  and  she  has  already  broken  the  beautiful 
looking-glass  that  her  aunt  brought  her  ;  yet  no  acci- 
dent has  occurred  to  the  mill  or  to  the  family. 

Louisa.  That  is  true,  grandma ;  but  Maria  says 
that  there  are  many  other  things  that  are  unlucky. 

Margaret.  Listen  to  me,  my  children.  Maria  is  a 
good,  honest  girl ;  we  must  esteem  and  not  laugh  at 
her ;  but  she  is  ignorant  and  simple,  and  you  must 
take  care  how  you  believe  all  the  tales  she  tells  you. 
No,  my  children  ;  break  glasses,   upset  the  salt,  sit 


32  LITTLE-JOHN. 


thirteen  at  table,  hear  a  raven  croak,  meet  a  hearse, 
and  a  hundred  other  things — none  of  them  indicate 
evils  to  happen.  What  brings  misfortune  is,  to  offend 
God,  and  to  do  harm  to  our  neighbors.  There  are 
people,  too,  who  will  not  undertake  to  do  any  thing 
on  a  Friday,  because  they  say  it  is  an  unlucky  day ; 
but  the  only  unlucky  days  are  those  on  which  we  do 
wrong.  Be  good,  gentle,  and  virtuous,  and  there  will 
be  no  such  thing  for  you  as  unfortunate  days,  for  God 
will  bless  you  every  day  that  you  live. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
HISTORY   OF   MOSES. 

Some  time  after,  Little-John,  who  was  getting  very 
fond  of  hearing  tales  related,  begged  Louisa  to  tell 
him  another.     She  related  the  following  : 

"  You  remember,  Little- John,  that  Joseph's  brothers 
went  to  live  in  Egypt ;  they  remained  and  died  there. 
The}^  had  a  great  many  children  ;  these  children  in 
their  turn  had  children,  so  that  at  the  end  of  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  they  formed  a  great  nation. 

"  Joseph  had  been  dead  a  great  while,  and  there  was 
another  king  in  Egypt,  a  wicked  man,  who  was  much 
annoyed  at  seeing  Joseph's  family  becoming  so  numer- 
ous and  powerful.     This  cruel  king,  to  prevent  it  from 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


33 


increasing  still  more,  ordered  all  the  little  boys,  as  soon 
as  they  were  born,  to  be  thrown  into  a  great  river  that 
runs  through  Egypt,  called  the  Nile. 

"  As  soon  as  this  was  known,  all  the  mothers  were 
in  despair.  In  spite  of  their  prayers  and  tears,  theii 
poor  little  children  were  torn  from  them  and  thrown 
into  the  Nile. 

"  There  was  a  woman  who  had  a  little  boy  as  beau- 
tiful as  an  angel,  that  she  loved  very  dearly.  She 
managed  to  conceal  him  for  some  time,  but  at  last  con- 
cealment was  no  longer  possible.  She  knew  that  God 
never  forsakes  those  that  pray  to  him  with  all  their 
hearts,  and  she  implored  him  to  save  her  child.     She 


then  made  a  basket  of  rushes,  put  her  little  boy  in  it, 
and  went  with  him  herself,  weeping  bitterly  all  the 
way,  and  placed  him  on  the  edge  of  the  water.     She 


34  LITTLE-JOIIN. 


had  a  daughter  ten  years  of  age,  name^Mary,  whom 
she  concealed  near  the  basket  to  find  out  what  would 
happen  to  her  little  brother.  The  poor  woman  return- 
ed home  in  great  grief;  but  God  watched  over  the 
basket,  for  he  never  abandons  those  that  turn  to  him. 
He  inspired  the  king's  daughter  with  a  wish  to  bathe 
that  day.  When  she  got  to  the  river-shore,  she  per- 
ceived something  at  a  distance  floating  upon  the  water. 
Sending  one  of  her  women  to  see  what  it  was,  she 
brought  her  the  rush  basket.  She  opened  it,  and  see- 
ing the  poor  little  fellow  lying  in  it,  moved  with  com- 
passion, she  exclaimed  :  '  That  child  shall  not  perish — I 
will  take  him  under  my  protection,  and  he  shall  be 
brought  up  as  if  he  were  my  own  son.'  Mary,  hear- 
ing this,  slipped  out  from  the  place  where  she  had  con- 
cealed herself,  and  said  to  the  princess :  '  If  you  wish 
it,  my  lady,  I  will  get  you  a  nurse  for  that  little  baby.' 
The  princess  told  her  to  do  so.  Then  the  little  girl 
ran  quickly  for  her  mother,  and  brought  her  to  the 
princess,  who  gave  her  the  child  to  nurse,  charging 
her  to  take  the  greatest  care  of  it,  and  promising  to 
pay  her  for  it. 

"  Then  the  mother  took  home  her  child.  Think 
how  happy  she  was,  and  how  heartily  she  thanked 
God  for  having  restored  her  darling  baby,  and  who  had 
so  arranged  it  that  she  could  keep  it  now  without  fear 
of  its  being  taken  from  her.  As  soon  as  he  w7as  old 
enough  she  restored  him  to  the  princess,  who  brought 
him  up  in  her  palace.     They  called  him  Moses,  which 


LITTLE-JOHN.  35 


means,  saved  from  the  waters.  When  you  read  your 
Bible,  you  will  see  what  wpnderful  things  God  enabled 
Moses  to  perform,  and  what  a  great  man  he  became." 

Little-John  was  delighted  with  this  story ;  his  ad- 
miration of  God's  goodness  and  power  was  boundless, 
and  he  agreed  with  Louisa,  that  those  who  put  their 
trust  in  him  are  very  right. 

"Do  you  know,  Little- John,"  said  his  good  sister, 
"  that  this  history  is  very  much  like  your  own  ?  I  was 
very  small  when  I  found  you,  too,  in  a  little  basket.  I 
felt,  as  soon  as  I  saw  you,  that  I  should  love  you  like 
a  brother."  At  these  words  the  little  boy  threw  his 
arms  around  Louisa's  neck  and  kissed  her  tenderly. 
Old  Margaret,  with  a  corner  of  her  apron,  wiped  a 
tear  from  her  wrinkled  cheek.  Then,  taking  each  of 
her  grandchildren  by  the  hand,  she  drew  them  to  her 
and  said  :  "  My  children,  I  am  very  old,  and  I  must 
soon  die.  There  are  two  things  that  I  recommend  to 
you :  the  first  is,  never  to  forget  God's  goodness,  and 
always  to  rely  on  him.  You  have  only  to  observe 
what  care  he  takes  of  all  his  creatures,  and  with  how 
much  love,  he  watches  over  them.  Yes,"  continued 
Margaret,  "he  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb,  he 
causes  the  earth  to  bring  forth  beautiful  flowers,  and  he 
takes  care  even  of  the  smallest  insects ;  how  much  more, 
then,  must  he  care  for  human  beings,  made  after  his 
own  image,  who  serve  him  and  pray  to  him  with  all 
their  hearts  !  Thus,  my  children,  when  you  are  unfor- 
tunate and  very  unhappy,  always  confide  in  your  heav- 


36  LITTLE-JOHN. 


enly  Father  :  if  you  are  afflicted,  he  will  console  you ; 
if  you  are  poor,  he  will  give  you  all  that  is  needful, 
provided  you  strive  industriously  to  aid  yourselves. 
You  know  that  I  love  you,  and  that  I  grant  all  your 
reasonable  desires  if  I  can.  God  loves  you  more  than 
father  or  mother,  and  he  is  all-powerful  to  hear  your 
prayers  and  to  give  you  that  which  is  needful. 

"  The  second  thing  that  I  recommend  to  you,  my 
dear  children,  is  always  to  love  and  aid  one  another 
as  much  as  you  can.  There  is  nothing  so  grateful  to 
the  heart  as  a  friend  to  share  our  joys  and  our  troubles  ; 
our  pleasures  are  then  more  enjoyable,  our  sorrows 
lighter,  and  our  labor  less  heavy ;  and  where  can  one 
find  a  better  friend  than  a  brother  or  a  sister  ?  And  then 
there  is  nothing  so  agreeable  to  God  as  the  friendship 
of  brothers,  and  it  is  this  union  that  he  has  particularly 
blessed  ;  and  our  Lord,  while  he  was  on  this  earth, 
often  repeated  to  his  disciples,  '  My  children,  love  one 
another.'  This,  my  dearest  children,  is  all  the  advice 
I  have  to  give  you ;  I  hope  you  will  think  of  it  often 
when  I  am  gone." 

When  Margaret  had  done,  the  two  children  kissed 
her  in  silence,  and  in  a  way  to  let  her  see  that  they 
had  understood  and  would  certainly  follow  her  advice. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  37 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
LABOR. 

Little-John  thought  that  God  was  very  kind  to 
have  created  all  things  for  our  use  ;  but  one  day  it 
came  into  his  head  that  he  had,  with  all  this,  given  us 
a  great  deal  of  work  to  do.  It  seemed  to  him  that  the 
Lord,  who  is  so  powerful,  and  who  can  do  what  he 
chooses  merely  by  a  word,  might  have  spared  mankind 
all  the  labor  of  cultivating  the  earth,  building  houses, 
and  making  clothing.  He  inquired  why  houses  were 
not  found  already  built,  and  bread  and  clothes  ready 
made.     Old  Margaret  laughed. 

"  Little-John,"  said  she,  "  don't  you  remember  the 
history  of  Adam  and  Eve  ?  You  learned  in  your  Cate- 
chism that  God  placed  them  both  in  a  beautiful  garden, 
and  that  he  gave  them  every  thing  in  it  but  the  fruit 
of  a  certain  tree,  which  he  forbade  them  to  eat.  You 
remember  that  Eve  allowed  herself  to  be  tempted  by 
the  serpent ;  that  she  ate  the  fruit ;  and  that  she  per- 
suaded her  husband  to  eat  it  also.  Then  God  told 
them  that  they  should  die.  He  drove  them  out  of 
Paradise,  and  condemned  Adam  to  labor  all  his  life, 
and  to  earn  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  We 
are  the  children  of  Adam,  and  we  are  paying  the  pen- 
alty of  his  sin  ;  this  is  why  we  are  obliged  to  work  as 
we  do.     If  we  did  not  work,  not  only  would  we  be 

4 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


unhappy  and  miserable  for  want  of  food,  but  we  would 
be  wicked  indeed.  My  dear  Little-John,  remember 
as  long  as  you  live  that  idleness  is  the  root  of  all  evil ; 
that  is  to  say,  we  fall  into  all  kinds  of  wickedness 
when  we  are  idle  and  lazy.  It  is  a  great  truth  ;  and 
all  sinners,  rogues,  and  thieves  begin  by  being  lazy, 
idle  children.  It  is  true  that  God  in  his  goodness 
maintains  little  children,  the  infirm,  the  asfed,  and  all 
those  who  cannot  work  ;  but  he  abandons  to  misery 
and  want  those  who  have  not  the  heart  and  good- will 
to  work  ;  and  then,  though  he  has  condemned  us  to 
labor  as  a  punishment  for  Adam's  sin,  he  has  promised 
to  reward  us  if  we  work  cheerfully  in  obedience  to 
his  commands.  Listen,  my  child  ;  I  remember  a  fable, 
which  will  perhaps  amuse  you. 


CHAPTER   IX. 
THE  CROW  AND  THE  CATBIRD. 

"  There  was  a  lazy  man,  who  thought  himself  very 
good,  because  he  passed  his  days  in  admiring  God's 
works.  He  said,  '  How  great !  how  powerful !  how 
good  is  God!  what  care  he  takes  of  all  his  creatures! 
He  feeds  the  little  birds  and  the  insects  :  why  should 
men  labor  ?  Are  they  not  superior  to  the  animals  that 
God  provides  for  without  their  being  obliged  to  work  ? 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


39 


I  will  not  labor  ;  I  will  pass  my  time  with  praising 
and  praying  to  God ;  I  will  ask  him  to  send  me  what 
I  want,  and  I  am  sure  he  will  do  it.'  Talking  in  this 
way,  the  man  went  to  praying,  after  which  he  laid 
himself  under  a  tree,  and  waited  patiently  for  his  din- 


ner. The  whole  day  passed  in  this  manner  without 
any  thing  happening.  Towards  sundown  he  saw  a 
crow,  with  something  in  his  bill,  alight  in  the  tree  im- 
mediately over  his  head.  In  the  top  of  the  tree  was 
a  nest  which  contained  a  poor  shivering  little  cat- 
bird, which  could  not  fly,  because  its  wings  had  not 
yet  grown  out.  The  little  thing  was  almost  dead  with 
hunger,  for  some  cruel  boys  had  killed  its  parents. 
The  crow  fed  it  with  what  he  had  in  his  bill,  and  flew 


40  LITTLE-JOHN. 


away.  When  the  man  saw  this,  he  cried  out :  '  Am 
I  not  right  in  praising  God's  bounty  ?  That  poor  lit- 
tle bird  would  have  died  of  hunger,  if  he  had  not  sent 
the  crow  to  feed  it :  surely,  He  who  takes  care  of  that 
little  catbird  will  not  forget  me.'  Whereupon  he  went 
to  sleep.  The  next  morning  when  he  awoke  he  began 
to  be  very  hungry,  and  he  hoped  soon  to  see  his  break- 
fast arrive.  He  waited  again  the  whole  day  ;  the 
breakfast  hour  pfssed,  and  dinner-time,  and  nothing 
came.  Only  towards  night  the  crow  came,  as  it  did 
the  day  before,  and  fed  the  young  bird.  The  third 
day  the  man  was  all  but  dead,  he  was  so  hungry ;  he 
wTas  very  much  astonished  that  God  should  have  for- 
gotten him  ;  however,  he  went  to  his  prayers,  and 
waited  the  whole  day  again.  Towards  evening  the 
crow  came  as  usual  to  feed  its  little  friend  ;  but  when 
it  was  done  eating  the  crow  said  to  it :  '  Now,  my 
little  fellow,  that  your  wings  have  grown  strong  enough, 
and  that  you  can  go  yourself  in  search  of  food,  you 
must  not  expect  me  to  bring  you  any  more.  So,  my 
dear,  if  hereafter  you  want  any  thing,  you  must  look 
out  for  yourself.  Do  not  forget  this  proverb — "Aid 
thyself  and  God  will  aid  thee" — good-by;'  and  the 
crow  flew  away. 

"  The  man  now  saw  why  it  was  that  God  had  not 
listened  to  his  prayers.  He  got  up  immediately,  and 
went  to  seek  work  on  a  neighboring  farm,  wThere  he 
went  at  it  heartily  to  earn  his  livelihood." 

Little-John.  But,  grandmother,  do  birds  talk  ? 


LITTLE-JOHN.  41 


Margaret.  No,  my  child  ;  did  I  not  tell  you  that  it 
was  a  fable  I  was  about  to  relate  ?  Well,  a  fable  is 
never  true ;  it  is  a  tale  imagined  for  our  instruction, 
and  from  which  we  can  always  derive  a  good  lesson. 
You  know  the  difference  between  a  true  story,  that 
really  happened,  and  a  tale  invented  to  amuse  chil- 
dren. The  story  of  Joseph,  that  you  are  so  fond  of, 
is  true  ;  but  this  little  tale  that  I  have  told  you  is  not. 

Louisa.  Grandma,  I  know  a  fable  too ;  if  you  choose, 
I  will  recite  it. 

Margaret.  Do  so,  my  daughter. 

And  the  little  girl  commenced  slowly  and  distinctly 
to  relate  the  following  fable : 


CHAPTER   X. 
THE  FARMER  AND  HIS  CHILDREN. 

"  There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  rich  farmer  who 
was  about  to  die.  He  called  all  his  children  around 
his  bed,  and  told  every  one  else  to  leave  the  room. 
When  they  were  alone,  he  said  to  them :  '  My  chil- 
dren, when  I  am  dead  and  gone,  you  must  not  sell  the 
farm,  for  there  is  a  great  treasure  concealed  in  it. 
When  the  harvest  is  over,  all  you  have  to  do  is,  to  dig 
in  the  fields,  and  you  will  find  something  very  valua- 
ble.'    After  the  death  of  their  father,   the  children 

4# 


42  LITTLE-JOHN. 


went  to  work,  and  dug,  and  ploughed,  and  stirred  the 
earth,  in  every  direction.  They  found  nothing  ;  but 
at  the  end  of  the  year,  as  the  earth  had  been  thorough- 
ly stirred  and  well  worked,  the  grain  was  most  abun- 
dant. Then  the  children  understood  that  the  labor 
and  the  pains  that  they  had  bestowed  upon  the  land, 
was  the  treasure  that  their  father  meant." 

Little- John  thought  this  a  beautiful  fable,  and  learn- 
ed it  by  heart. 

One  day  the  little  boy  remarked  to  his  sister  that 
she  had  been  several  days  without  telling  him  a  story. 
Louisa,  who  was  always  happy  to  render  any  one  a 
service,  promised  him  a  pretty  story  for  the  next  day 
after  dinner ;  and  when  the  time  came  she  related  the 
story  of  Ruth. 


CHAPTER  XL 

STORY    OF   RUTH. 

"  You  remember  the  story  of  Moses,  do  you  not, 
John  ?  It  was  he  who  delivered  the  Hebrews  from 
Egypt,  and  where  Pharaoh's  cruelty  made  them  very 
wretched.  He  led  them  for  forty  years  through  a 
great  wilderness,  and  conducted  them  finally  to  the 
entrance  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  This  land  of  Canaan 
was  a  beautiful  country  that  God  had  promised  to  be- 
stow upon  Jacob's  children.     After  the  death  of  Mo- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  43 


ses,  when  the  Hebrews  had  taken  possession  of  the 
promised  country,  they  were  governed  for  three  hun- 
dred years  by  judges  or  chiefs,  whom  God  appointed 
to  lead  them  in  war  and  rule  them  in  peace. 

"  In  those  days  a  great  famine  occurred ;  you  know 
what  that  means — there  was  not  enough  of  bread.  A 
man  called  Elimelech  had  to  leave  his  home  in  Beth- 
lehem, and  go  to  a  country  called  the  land  of  Moab, 
to  seek  a  livelihood  ;  he  was  accompanied  by  his  wife 
Naomi  and  her  two  sons.  Shortly  after  they  got  there 
Elimelech  died,  and  his  two  sons  married  two  Moabi- 
tish  women,  named  Orpha  and  Ruth. 

"  At  the  end  of  ten  years  Elimelech's  sons  died  also ; 
and  Naomi,  remaining  alone,  and  without  protection, 
determined  to  return  to  her  own  country,  because  she 
had  learned  that  (thanks  to  God)  there  was  once  more 
abundance  of  food  there.  She  set  out  then,  and  her 
daughters-in-law  started  with  her.  But  on  the  road 
Naomi  said  to  them,  '  My  daughters,  return  to  your 
parents ;  I  will  pray  the  Lord  to  bless  and  prosper 
you.'  She  then  kissed  them.  Her  daughters-in-law 
commenced  crying,  and  insisted  on  going  with  her. 
'  No,  my  daughters/  replied  Naomi ;  'why  should  you 
accompany  me  ?  You  see  how  poor  I  am,  and  your 
poverty  would  only  add  to  mine.'  When  they  heard 
this,  the  two  daughters-in-law  cried  still  more.  At 
last,  Orpha  embraced  her  mother-in-law,  and  returned. 
But  Ruth  cluna;  to  Naomi,  determined  not  to  leave 
her  ;  and  as  Naomi  still  tried  to  persuade  her  to  return 


44  LITTLE-JOHN. 


with  her  sister-in-law,  she  said,  '  Entreat  me  not  to 
leave  thee,  or  to  return  from  following  thee,  for  whith- 
er thou  goest  I  will  go,  and  where  thou  lodgest  I  will 
lodge  ;  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my 
God  ;  where  thou  diest  will  I  die,  and  there  will  I  be 
buried.'  Naomi  seeing  that  Ruth  was  determined, 
ceased  to  oppose  her.  They  travelled  together,  and 
arrived  in  Bethlehem  towards  the  commencement  of 
harvest.  Ruth  said  to  her  mother-in-law  :  -'  If  you  will 
permit  me,  I  will  go  and  glean  in  the  fields.  Perhaps 
I  may  meet  with  some  benevolent  farmer  who  will  be 
charitable.'  Naomi  replied :  '  Go,  my  daughter.' 
Ruth  then  went  into  a  field,  and  commenced  gleaning 
(or  picking  up  the  waste)  behind  the  reapers.  It  so 
happened  that  the  field  belonged  to  Boaz,  a  very  rich 
man,  and  a  near  relation  of  Elimelech. 

"While  Ruth  was  gleaning,  Boaz  came  into  the 
field  to  see  how  the  hands  were  getting  on  :  seeing 
Ruth,  he  inquired  who  she  was.  They  told  him  that 
she  was  a  poor  Moabitish  woman,  who  had  returned 
to  the  neighborhood  with  Naomi.  Then  Boaz  said  to 
her :  '  Listen,  my  girl ;  do  not  glean  in  any  other  fields 
than  mine :  join  my  girls,  and  follow  the  reapers.  If 
you  are  thirsty,  drink  the  water  that  is  brought  for  my 
people,  and  when  you  are  hungry,  eat  with  them.' 
Afterwards  he  added  :  '  I  have  heard  how  well  you  be- 
haved to  your  mother-in-law,  and  how  you  abandoned 
every  thing  to  comfort  her — may  the  Lord  bless  you 
for  it !' 


LITTLE-JOHN.  45 


"  Ruth  thanked  Boaz  for  his  kindness,  and  when  din- 
ner-time came,  took  her  seat  with  the  other  hands. 
They  gave  her  food,  and  after  eating  as  much  as  she 
wanted,  she  put  the  remainder  away.  She  then  went 
to  work  again,  and  gleaned  until  night :  after  having 
thrashed  out  the  grain  that  she  collected,  she  gave  it, 
together  with  the  remains  of  her  dinner,  to  her  mother- 
in-law.  Naomi  inquired  wThere  she  had  been  at  work. 
Ruth  told  her,  and  related  how  kind  Boaz  had  been  to 
her.  Naomi  said  :  '  May  the  Lord  bless  him  !  I  see 
that  he  retains  for  us  the  same  friendship  that  he  felt 
for  my  husband  and  my  sons  during  their  lifetime  ;' 
and  she  added,  '  You  would  do  well,  my  daughter,  to 
glean  in  the  same  place  until  the  harvest  is  over.' 
Ruth  followed  her  advice ;  and  when  the  harvest  was 
over,  Naomi  said  to  her  :  '  My  daughter,  I  have  been 


thinking  of  your  getting  married.  Boaz  is  our  near 
relation ;  and  it  is  the  custom  in  our  country  when  a 
man  dies  without  leaving  any  children,  for  his  nearest 
relation  to  marry  his  wife,  in  order  that  she  may  not 
be  without  a  protector.  Go,  then,  and  find  Boaz,  and 
remind  him  that  he  is  the  nearest  male  relation  of  your 
deceased  husband.'  Ruth  did  exactly  as  she  was  told, 
and  God  rewarded  her  obedience  ;  for  Boaz  went  to 
the  city  gate,  and  before  all  the  people  declared  that  he 
took  Ruth  for  his  wife.  She  became  very  rich,  and 
very  happy.  She  had  a  son  called  Obed,  and  Naomi 
took  care  of  him,  and  nursed  him  with  much  tender- 
ness; and  the  women  of  Bethlehem,  when  they  saw 


46  LITTLE-JOIIN. 


her  carrying  her  grandchild  in  her  arms,  blessed  God 
that  he  had  comforted  her  in  her  affliction.  Obed 
founded  the  family  of  the  kings  of  Juda,  and  our  Lord 
and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  descended  from  that  family." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ALIUS. 

When  Louisa  finished  the  story  of  Ruth,  she  asked 
Little- John  what  he  thought  of  it  ? 

Little- John.  I  think  that  Ruth  was  a  good  girl,  and 
that  God  did  right  to  reward  her. 

Louisa.  It  is  thus  that  God  blesses  good  and  respect- 
ful children,  who  serve  their  parents,  who  console  them 
in  misfortune,  and  who  relieve  them  when  in  want ; 
but  observe,  that  in  this  case  the  best  reward  was  not 
in  being  made  rich  and  happy,  and  getting  a  good  hus- 
band, but  in  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  the  true  God ; 
for  in  Ruth's  country  they  did  not  know  him,  and  if  she 
had  not  followed  Naomi,  she  would  not  have  had  this 
great  happiness ;  and  then,  how  glorious  to  have  been 
an  ancestress  of  the  Messiah !  Some  other  time  I  will 
relate  to  you  the  history  of  David,  Obed's  grandson. 

Little- John.  Boaz  was  a  good  man  too  ;  why  did  he 
tell  Ruth  not  to  glean  elsewhere  ? 

Louisa.  Because  he  was  generous  and  charitable : 


LITTLE-JOHN.  47 


he  followed  the  precepts  of  the  Lord,  who  says  : 
"  When  you  harvest  your  grain,  do  not  go  back  to 
pick  up  the  scattered  straw  ;  leave  it  for  the  widow, 
the  stranger,  and  the  orphan,  that  the  Lord  may  bless 
the  labor  of  your  hands."  This  is  why  Boaz  wished 
Ruth  to  follow  his  reapers,  and  to  share  their  dinner 
with  them  ;  he  was  happy  to  find  an  opportunity  to 
do  good,  for  he  well  knew  that  he  who  relieves  the 
poor  is  the  image  of  God  upon  earth,  and  that  the  Lord 
blesses  the  giver,  so  that  the  alms  that  he  bestows  en- 
rich instead  of  impoverishing  him. 

Little-John.  Yes ;  but  when  one  is  very  poor  one's 
self,  one  cannot  give  alms. 

Louisa.  No  matter  how  poor  we  may  be,  we  may 
still  find  others  yet  more  unfortunate  to  whom  we  may 
do  good  ;  if  we  have  nothing  to  give  them,  we  may 
console,  encourage,  visit  and  nurse  them  when  they 
are  sick,  and  serve  them  in  many  ways. 

Little-John.  But  rich  people  can  always  relieve  the 
poor. 

Louisa.  The  alms  from  the  poor  are  more  agreea- 
ble in  the  sight  of  God  than  those  of  the  rich.  Grand- 
ma explained  that  to  me  when  I  recited  to  her  a  pas- 
sage in  the  New  Testament,  that  I  learned  by  heart 
not  long  ago.  Our  Saviour  was  one  day  standing 
near  the  place  where  people  came  to  deposite  their 
alms :  he  saw  the  rich  bring  large  sums  ;  and  he  saw, 
also,  a  poor  widow  bring  two  small  pieces  of  money 
of  little  value.     Then  he  said  to  his  disciples:  "Of  a 


48  LITTLE-JOHN, 


truth  I  say  unto  you,  that  this  poor  widow  has  given 
more  than  they  all,  for  they  of  their  abundance  have 
given  what  they  did  not  want,  whereas  she  has  given 
all  that  she  had." 

So  you  see,  John,  that  God,  who  sees  to  the  bottom 
of  our  hearts,  does  not  judge,  as  men  do,  by  the  amount 
given,  but  by  the  spirit  with  which  it  is  given.  He 
will  reward  us  even  for  a  glass  of  water  given  for  the 
love  of  him.  This  reminds  me  of  another  little  story 
which  I  must  tell  you.  It  was  again  during  a  great 
famine  among  the  Hebrews.  There  wTas  a  man  called 
Elijah,  one  of  the  holy  prophets.  One  day  he  arrived 
near  the  city  of  Zarephath  ;  as  he  had  walked  a  long 
way,  he  was  exceedingly  thirsty  and  hungry.  He  saw, 
in  a  field  near  by,  a  poor  woman  picking  up  wood,  and 
said  to  her :  "  Give  me,  I  pray  you,  a  little  water."  She 
ran  for  it  immediately,  and  as  she  was  going,  he  cried 
out :  "  Bring  me,  too,  I  beg  of  you,  a  piece  of  bread,  for 
I  am  very  hungry."  The  poor  woman  had  only  a  little 
flour  and  a  small  quantity  of  oil  that  she  was  keeping  to 
make  bread  for  her  son ;  she  made  it,  however,  into  bread 
for  the  prophet.  To  reward  her  charity,  God  perform- 
ed a  miracle  :  the  flour  in  the  barrel  and  the  oil  in  the 
bottle  never  gave  out  during  the  whole  time  of  the 
famine  ;  though  they  used  it  every  day,  there  was  al- 
ways some  left.  God  did  this  to  reward  a  charitable 
act,  and  to  prove  that  he  always  repays  us  what  we 
give  in  alms. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  49 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
THEFT. 

A  short  time  after  the  story  about  Ruth,  Louisa 
having  gone  out  to  see  some  of  her  playmates,  Little- 
John  was  left  alone  with  old  Margaret,  and  said  to  her : 
"Grandmother,  when  we  find  any  thing  in  the  fields, 
can  we  take  it  for  ourselves  ?" 

Margaret.  How,  Little-John,  can  you  ask  such  a 
question  ?  Have  I  not  told  you  a  hundred  times  that 
we  must  never  touch  what  does  not  belong  to  us  ? 

Little-John.  Did  not  Ruth  go  into  Boaz's  field  to 
pick  up  wheat  ?  and  did  not  Louisa  tell  me  that  God 
ordered  those  who  were  harvesting  to  leave  some  grain 
in  the  fields  for  strangers  and  the  poor  ? 

Margaret.  But  you  must  remember  that  Boaz  gave 
Ruth  permission  to  pick  up  the  scattered  grain ;  and 
besides,  the  poor  knew  that  they  could  take  what  they 
found  in  the  fields,  because  it  was  left  on  purpose  for 
them.  It  is  customary  now,  in  some  countries,  for  poor 
people  to  glean  the  stubble-fields ;  and  they  can  do  so 
because  it  is  allowed,  but  if  not,  they  must  touch  no- 
thing. It  is  true,  that  God  commands  the  rich  to  give 
to  the  poor ;  but  he  forbids  everybody  from  taking  what 
does  not  belong  to  them. 

Little-John.  And  when  the  rich  are  so  hard-hearted 
and  cruel  as  to  refuse  to  give  any  thing  to  the  poor, 
like  that  rich  Mr.  Gripeall,  who  drives  them  away 
5 


50  LITTLE-JOHN 


when  they  ask  for  bread,  are  not  the  boys  right  in 
stealing  their  apples  and  destroying  their  gardens  ? 

Margaret.  No,  certainly  not ;  if  the  rich  refuse  to 
give  they  will  be  punished  ;  but  those  who  take, their 
apples  will  not  the  less  be  punished  for  stealing. 

Little-John.  Taking  a  few  apples  !  do  you  call  that 
stealing  ? 

Margaret.  Yes,  my  child  ;  it  is  as  much  a  theft  as 
the  taking  of  money. 

Little- John.  But  a  stingy  man ! 

Margaret.  Well !  because  that  man  is  stingy,  do  you 
want  to  be  a  thief? 

Little-John.  Oh!  how  shocking  to  be  called  a  thief! 
I  would  not  even  taste  a  cherry  that  had  been  taken 
without  permission. 

Margaret.  You  are  right,  my  son;  honesty  is  the  poor 
man's  wealth.  Never  forget  what  I  have  so  often  told 
you,  that  in  the  country  the  fruit,  the  flowers,  the  trees, 
and  almost  every  thing  else,  are  left  to  the  care  of  Prov- 
idence ;  those  who  take  the  least  thing  commit  a  theft, 
and  they  are  the  more  guilty,  as  the  owners  have  no 
means  of  protecting  themselves  from  such  injustice. 
But  if  man  does  not  see  them,  God,  who  is  everywhere, 
does,  and  he  will  most  assuredly  punish  them.  Listen, 
I  will  tell  you  a  story.  A  long  time  ago  the  Normans 
were  all  robbers  ;  they  came  from  a  country  called 
Denmark,  and  as  that  country  is  in  the  north,  they 
were  called  Northmen,  or  Normans.  Almost  every 
year  they  set  out  in  great  numbers,  in  small  boats ; 


LITTLE-JOHN.  51 


they  sailed  along  the  coasts  of  France,  and  penetrated 
to  the  heart  of  the  country  by  ascending  the  rivers ; 
there  they  plundered  and  burnt  the  villages,  carried 
off  the  flocks  and  herds,  and  after  killing  the  men,  they 
led  away  the  women  and  children,  and  made  them 
slaves.  These  robberies  continued  for  many  years 
without  its  being  possible  to  stop  them.  At  last  the 
king  of  France  made  peace  with  Rollo,  the  chief  of 
these  robbers  ;  he  gave  him  a  beautiful  province  for 
himself  and  people  to  live  in,  and  his  daughter  in  mar- 
riage, on  condition  that  he  would  become  a  Christian, 
and  cease  to  do  France  any  injury.  Rollo  accepted 
king  Charles's  proposition,  and  he  and  all  his  people 
became  Christians.  They  gave  him  the  province  of 
Neustria,  since  called  Normandy,  from  the  Normans 
who  settled  in  it.  Then,  from  thieves  and  robbers, 
that  they  were  before,  they  became  very  honest  peo- 
ple. Rollo  made  wise  laws  for  them  that  were  strictly 
obeyed ;  the  people  became  industrious,  the  cities  be- 
came rich  and  flourishing,  the  country  was  covered 
with  fine  crops,  and  the  inhabitants  became  such,  that 
a  man  having  found  a  valuable  bracelet  in  the  road, 
suspended  it  from  a  tree,  that  the  owner  might  recog- 
nise and  claim  it ;  but  he  not  passing  that  way,  it  re- 
mained in  the  tree  for  many  years.  See  what  a  change 
the  fear  of  God  made  in  the  habits  of  this  people.  We, 
too,  are  Christians,  and  we  ought  to  be  as  honest  as 
they.  There  is  a  country  in  Europe  called  Prussia, 
in  most  parts  of  which  it  is  customary  to  plant  fruit- 


52  LITTLE-J0I1N 


trees  along  the  public  roads.  If  the  owner  of  one  of 
these  trees  should  tie  a  simple  whisp  of  straw  around 
its  trunk,  all  the  boys  in  Prussia  might  pass  under  it 
without  its  being  touched,  such  is  their  honesty. 

Little-John.  But,  grandma,  if  we  find  any  thing,  can 
we  not  keep  it  ? 

Margaret.  To  find  any  thing  without  taking  every 
means  to  restore  it,  is  just  as  much  a  theft  as  if  we 
were  to  take  it  from  the  owner  without  permission. 
There  are  many  ways  of  stealing  :  those  who  deceive 
in  buying  or  selling,  in  counting  money,  in  measuring 
or  weighing  goods  ;  those  who  refuse  to  pay  what  they 
owe  ;  those  who  being  hired  to  work,  are  idle,  or  do 
their  work  in  a  slovenly  way ; — all  such  people  steal, 
and  they  will  never  thrive,  for  wealth  acquired  by  dis- 
honest means  cannot  procure  happiness.  As  for  you, 
John,  I  hope  you  will  be  an  honest  man  :  then,  if  you  are 
not  rich,  you  will  have  a  good  conscience,  which  will 
render  you  contentment  and  happiness  in  your  pover- 
ty ;  you  wTill  be  esteemed  and  honored  by  man,  and, 
what  is  still  better,  will  be  blessed  by  God ;  for  he  pro- 
tects those  who  serve  him  and  keep  his  command- 
ments. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  53 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
OLD   UNCLE  TOM. 

Uncle  Tom,  as  he  was  usually  called  in  the  village, 
was  a  venerable  old  man,  highly  respected  for  his  hon- 
esty and  information,  who  had  passed  most  of  his  life 
at  sea.  After  serving  many  years  in  the  navy,  he  had 
returned  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  his  na- 
tive village.  He  dwelt  all  alone  in  a  small  house  that 
had  been  his  father's,  and  cultivated  a  small  lot  of 
ground,  that,  by  dint  of  labor  and  care,  he  had  con- 
verted into  a  beautiful  garden. 

Everybody  liked  old  Tom  ;  children,  particularly, 
were  very  fond  of  him,  and  he  of  them.  He  often 
collected  the  good  little  boys  around  him,  and  related 
to  them  the  wonders  that  he  had  seen  in  his  voyages, 
and  the  battles  that  he  had  fought  for  his  country ;  and 
sometimes  he  gave  them  apples  and  nuts. 

But  if  he  loved  good  children,  he  was  the  terror  of 
bad  ones.  If,  in  his  walks,  he  happened  to  meet  a 
large  boy  imposing  on  a  small  one,  or  guilty  of  any 
other  meanness,  he  was  very  apt  to  give  him  a  rap 
over  the  head.  Little-John  was  a  prime  favorite  with 
old  Tom,  who  always  called  him  his  messmate.  The 
old  sailor  often  visited  his  kind  neighbor  Margaret, 
and  took  great  delight  in  instructing  Louisa  and  Little 

John,  and  they  were  very  attentive  to  his  lessons. 

5* 


54  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
THE  MILL. 

One  fine  morning,  Little- John,  by  Margaret's  advice, 
went  and  asked  Uncle  Tom  to  take  him  to  the  mill. 
The  old  sailor  readily  consented,  and  they  were  soon 
upon  the  banks  of  the  brook. 

"  Do  you  see,  John,"  said  Uncle  Tom,  "  how  the  wa- 
ter by  its  weight  drives  the  big  wheel  ?  Enter  the  mill 
now,  and  you  will  see  how  the  millstones  are  driven,  in 
their  turn,  by  the  big  wheel.  Of  these  millstones, 
(which  are  round,  flat,  and  very  heavy.)  the  lower  one 
is  stationary,  and  the  upper  is  turned  with  consider- 
able velocity  :  the  grains  of  wheat  are  made  to  fall 
between  the  two  stones,  from  a  box  immediately  above 
them  called  a  hopper  :  between  the  stones  they  are 
crushed  and  ground  into  flour  ;  the  flour  is  then  sifted 
from  the  bran  through  what  is  called  a  bolting-cloth. " 

Little-John  examined  carefully  the  machinery  of  the 
mill.  As  he  was  returning  to  the  village,  reflecting 
upon  what  he  had  seen — "  Uncle  Tom,"  said  he,  "  is 
the  windmill  on  the  hill  there  like  the  one  wTe  have  just 
seen  ?" 

Tom.  Precisely  ;  only,  instead  of  a  wheel  turned  by 
water,  it  has  four  wings  or  sails  driven  by  the  wind. 

Little- John.  But  how  is  the  wind  strong  enough  to 
turn  such  heavy  stones  ? 


LITTLE-JOHN.  55 


Tom.  You  understand,  John,  how  it  is  that  water 
turns  the  wheel  ? 

Little-John.  Certainly ;  the  water  is  so  heavy,  that 
it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  how  it  turns  the  wheel 
and  millstones  ;  but  I  cannot  conceive  how  wind  can 
do  the  same  :  in  the  first  place,  I  don't  know  what 
wind  is. 

Tom.  You  don't  know  what  air  is,  either,  I  sup- 
pose ? 

Little- John.  Oh !  yes ;  I  know  very  well  what  it  is ; 
it  is  what  we  breathe ;  we  are  surrounded  by  air,  and 
plunged  into  it  as  fish  are  plunged  in  water ;  for  when 
you  sweep  your  hand  quickly  by  your  face,  you  feel 
the  air  immediately  on  your  cheeks  and  eyes.  Louisa 
read  that  to  me  the  other  day,  from  a  book  that  you 
loaned  her. 

Tom.  Really !  John,  you  are  quite  learned,  and  even 
wiser  than  you  think  yourself,  for  you  have  just  ex- 
plained to  me  what  wind  is. 

Little-John.  Indeed  !  I  did  not  suspect  it. 

Tom.  How  do  you  manage  to  feel  the  air  ? 

Little-John.  I  pass  my  hand  or  a  book  rapidly  before 
my  face. 

Tom.  How  is  it  that  you  then  feel  it  so  plainly  ? 

Little-John.  That  is  not  so  easy  to  answer. 

Tom.  I  agree  with  you  ;  but  think  a  little. 

Little-John.  Well !  I  suppose  it  is  because  I  then  stir 
the  air  and  set  it  in  motion,  so  that  it  strikes  my  face 
hard  enough  for  me  to  feel  it. 


56  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Tom.  You  have  hit  it  exactly :  wind  is  nothing  more 
than  air  in  motion. 

Now  you  will  easily  understand  how  it  is  that  the 
wind  sets  the  arms  of  the  mill  agoing.  If,  instead  of 
putting  the  water-wheel  under  a  fall  of  water,  you 
were  to  plunge  it  in  a  quiet  pool,  tell  me,  John,  what 
would  occur  ? 

Little-John.  That  is  not  hard  to  tell.  The  wheel 
would  not  turn,  and  the  mill  would  not  go. 

Tom.  That  is  precisely  what  occurs  with  the  wind- 
mill when  the  air  is  still — it  does  not  go.  But,  on  the 
contrary,  if  sufficient  water  falls  upon  the  wheel,  the 
mill  runs ;  so  it  is  when  the  air  falls  upon  the  wings — 
that  is  to  say,  if  it  blows. 

Little-John.  Oh !  Uncle  Tom,  what  a  difference  ! 
Water  is  heavy  ;  but  air — 

Tom.  Is  very  light,  you  were  going  to  say,  wTere  you 
not  ?  Well,  I  am  sorry,  messmate,  to  contradict  you ; 
but  you  must  know  that  air  has  weight  like  other  things, 
and  if  you  were  to  weigh  a  bottle  full  of  air,  against 
one  from  which  the  air  had  been  extracted,  you  would 
immediately  see  that  it  was  the  heaviest. 

Little-John.  Oh !  then  I  can  understand  how  the 
wind  makes  the  mill  go. 

Tom.  Not  only  mills,  but  large  vessels,  loaded  with 
men  and  merchandise.  They  raise  upon  the  vessels 
high  masts,  higher  than  the  church-steeple  ;  upon  these 
masts  they  stretch  large  sails,  which,  being  pushed  by 
the  wind,  force  the  vessel  through  the  water  at  a  great 


LITTLE-JOHN.  57 


rate.  But  you  saw,  last  winter,  large  limbs  broken 
from  the  trees  by  the  violence  of  the  wind ;  how  can 
that  which  tore  off  such  strong  limbs  be  without  weight? 
How  astonished  you  would  be,  Little-John,  when  the 
wind  is  strong,  if  you  could  see  what  enormous  waves 
it  makes  upon  the  surface  of  the  ocean ;  and  when  I 
tell  you  that  it  has  destroyed  whole  cities  and  their  in- 
habitants, and  swept  away,  in  an  instant,  entire  forests  ! 

Little-John.  How  dreadful  !  I  shall  always  be  afraid 
now  when  I  hear  the  wind  blow. 

Tom.  You  would  be  wrong.  With  a  good  con- 
science we  should  never  fear  any  thing ;  for  nothing 
happens  in  this  world  contrary  to  the  will  of  our  heav- 
enly Father,  who  only  allows  an  apparent  evil  for  the 
real  good  of  his  creatures.  Besides,  destruction  by 
wind  is  rare  with  us.  It  is  in  the  South  and  the  West 
Indies  that  these  hurricanes  occur. 

Little-John  thanked  Uncle  Tom,  and  left  him  to  re- 
turn home  to  Margaret's. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  RESPECT  DUE  TO  OLD  AGE. 

The  little  boy  came  running  into  the  house — "  Lou- 


isa 


Louisa  !  come  quick  and  see  this  funnyman  going 
up  the  street.  See  row  crooked  he  is,  and  how  he 
walks — look !' 


58  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Louisa  ran  to  the  door,  and  when  she  saw  the  man 
she  did  not  laugh,  but  looked  upon  him  with  compas- 
sion ;  and  then  she  ran  for  some  bread,  which  she 
gave  him,  for  it  was  a  poor  old  lame  beggar. 

When  he  was  gone,  Little- John  turned  to  Louisa, 
thinking  that  she  would  join  him  in  making  fun  of  the 
old  man,  but  instead  of  laughing,  she  looked  very  se- 
rious. It  was  because  good  Margaret  had  taught  her 
never  to  mock  the  aged,  the  poor,  or  the  infirm.  Lit- 
tle-John did  not  know  this,  and  Louisa  taught  him  in 
his  turn. 

"  Look,"  said  she,  "  are  not  these  poor  people  to  be 
pitied  on  account  of  their  sufferings  and  infirmities  ? 
If  we  were  in  their  places,  would  we  not  be  very  un- 
happy ?  and  to  add  to  it,  if  bad  boys  were  to  mock  us 
what  would  you  think  of  it  ?  You  know  that  we  must 
never  do  unto  others  that  which  we  would  not  have 
done  to  us. 

"  I  read  a  story  the  other  day  which  proves  that 
God  dislikes  mocking  children,  and  that  he  curses  those 
that  are  disrespectful  to  old  people.  I  will  relate  it 
to  you. 

"  There  was  a  man  named  Elisha,  whom  God  loved 
on  account  of  his  piety  and  devotion.  Elisha  was  so 
old  that  all  the  hair  had  fallen  from  his  head,  and  he 
was  bald.  One  day,  as  he  was  travelling  along  at  the 
foot  of  a  mountain,  he  met  some  boys  who  were  play- 
ing in  the  fields.  As  soon  as  they  perceived  his  bald 
head,  they  commenced  running  after   and  mocking 


LITTLE-JOHN.  59 


him.  The  old  man  turned  and  cursed  them  ;  where- 
upon two  large  bears  rushed  from  a  neighboring  wood, 
and  devoured  forty-two  of  them. 

"  Is  not  this  a  frightful  story  ?  and  does  it  not  prove 
that  God  punishes  with  severity  all  mocking  chil- 
dren r 

Little- John  agreed  with  her,  and  promised  himself 
never  again  to  mock  anybody,  and  always  to  be  re- 
spectful to  old  people.  He  remained  very  thoughtful, 
and  seemed  ashamed  of  himself  for  mocking  the  old 
beggar. 

"  My  child,"  said  Margaret,  "  you  would  not  be  sor- 
rowful as  you  are — you  would,  on  the  contrary,  be 
joyous  and  contented,  if  you  could  have  been  useful 
to  that  poor  old  man.  The  services  that  we  render 
to  the  aged  rejoice  the  heart,  and  carry  a  blessing  with 
them.  Listen,  I  too  have  a  story  to  relate,  that  our 
good  Louisa  has  not  forgotten." 

Louisa  blushed,  and  appeared  more  busy  with  her 
work  than  ever,  for  she  suspected  that  her  grandmother 
was  about  to  speak  of  her. 


60  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
T.HE  BLIND  MAN'S   STAFF. 

"  A  poor  blind  man  was  wandering  about  the  coun- 
try begging  his  bread.  As  he  could  not  see,  he  con- 
trived by  means  of  a  long  staff  to  feel  his  way  from 
village  to  village  by  roads  that  he  was  well  acquainted 
with.  One  day  he  had  the  misfortune  to  let  his  stick 
fall  in  a  ditch  :  he  remained  upon  the  spot  in  great  em- 
barrassment ;  he  was  afraid,  blind  as  he  was,  to  descend 
into  the  ditch,  and  yet  he  could  not  get  along  without 
his  stick.  He  seated  himself  on  the  roadside,  hoping 
that  some  one  would  soon  come  that  way  to  his  assist- 
ance ;  but  he  remained  for  a  long  time  before  a  party 
came  by,  and  then  they  were  talking  and  making  such 
a  noise  that  they  did  not  hear  his  timid  demand  for 
help,  and  continued  their  route.  The  poor  fellow  left 
once  more  alone,  was  very  sad  and  anxious  ;  for  he  felt 
the  chill  evening  air,  and  feared  that  he  would  have  to 
remain  where  he  was  all  night.  But  after  awhile  he 
heard  other  steps,  and  the  sound  of  voices  approaching 
him.  He  cried  out  again  for  assistance.  But  the  pas- 
sengers this  time  were  heartless  boys,  who  made  sport 
of  the  poor  man's  embarrassment.  In  their  brutal  mis- 
chief they  pretended  to  pick  up  his  stick,  but  in  its 
stead  handed  him  a  thistle  that  scratched  his  hand. 
Just  at  this  moment  Louisa  was  passing  :  she  had  heard 


LITTLE- JOHN.  61 


the  blind  man's  petition,  and  witnessed  the  cruelty  of 
the  boys,  and  she  said  to  herself,  i  That  poor  blind  man 
looks  like  my  grandfather  :  he  seems  to  be  as  old  as  he, 
for  his  hair  is  just  as  white.  How  sorry  I  should  be  if 
"  my  grandfather  like  him  should  be  in  need  of  assistance, 
and  like  him  worried  by  cruel  boys  !'  Immediately  the 
good  little  girl  took  off  her  shoes,  and  waded  into  the 
ditch.  She  returned  and  said  to  the  old  man:  'Here, 
my  good  man,  here  is  your  cane.'  The  blind  man 
turned  in  the  direction  of  her  clear  sweet  voice,  and 
with  joy  in  his  countenance,  took  his  stick,  saying  : 
'  May  God  bless  and  reward  you,  my  dear  child,  for 
your  good  heart.' 

"  Louisa  tripped  off  delighted  :  when  she  got  home 
she  threw  her  arms  around  her  grandfather's  neck,  and 
though  she  did  not  mention  what  had  occurred,  the  old 
man's  caresses  were  more  grateful  to  her  than  usual, 
and  each  kiss  seemed  to  say  to  her  :  '  I  thank  you,  my 
child,  for  having  performed  a  good  action  to-day  for 
the  love  of  me.'  " 

The  good  old  grandmother  was  very  much  moved 
as  she  finished  her  recital.  She  drew  the  children  to 
her,  and  covered  them  with  Jdsses ;  and  Little-John 
understood  how  much  happiness,  and  how  much  pride 
a  family  may  feel  in  the  good  deeds  of  one  of  its  chil- 
dren. 

During  the  whole  day  he  was  more  attentive  and 
affectionate  than  ever  to  his  grandmother  and  sister ; 
and  when  evening  came,  he  asked  Louisa  to  relate  to 


62  LITTLE-JOHN. 


him  the  story  she  had  promised  him  about  Ruth's  grand- 
son, in  such  a  winning  way,  that  she  commenced  it  at 
once. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
HISTORY   OF   DAVID. 

"  The  Jews  were  a  numerous  people  :  they  were  at 
war  with  the  Philistines.  The  two  armies  were  about 
to  engage,  when  a  terrible  giant,  named  Goliath,  step- 
ped forth  from  the  ranks  of  the  Philistines.  He  ap- 
proached the  Jews,  offering  them  all  manner  of  insults, 
crying  out — '  It  is  not  necessary  for  both  armies  to 
fight  to  decide  the  war ;  let  some  Jew  come  out  and 
meet  me,  and  we  two  will  decide  it.'  But  the  Jews, 
at  the  sight  of  this  tremendous  men,  his  heavy  armor, 
and  long  sword,  were  intimidated.  They  stood  trem- 
bling in  their  ranks,  and  not  one  of  them  dared  go  out 
to  fight  Goliath.  The  king  of  the  Jews,  who  was 
named  Saul,  promised  to  give  his  daughter  in  marriage 
and  a  large  sum  of  money  to  any  one  who  would  kill 
this  wicked  Philistine ;  but  not  a  man  was  to  be  found 
of  sufficient  courage  to  attempt  it. 

"  There  was  in  Bethlehem  a  man  called  Jesse,  who 
was  the  son  of  Obed,  and  grandson  of  Boaz  and  Ruth, 
whose  story  you  admired  so  much.     This  man  had 


LITTLE-JOHN.  63 


eight  sons  ;  the  eldest  had  gone  to  the  war,  and  the 
youngest,  called  David,  remained  at  home.  David  was 
in  his  sixteenth  year;  he  tended  his  father's  flocks, 
and  God  loved  him  because  he  was  a  good  son,  obe- 
dient and  pious. 

"  Jesse  called  and  said  to  him  : — '  My  son,  go  and 
inquire  how  your  brothers  are,  and  take  with  you 
such  provisions  as  they  may  want.'  David  set  out, 
and  arrived  at  the  camp  just  as  Goliath  was  defying 
and  insulting  the  Jews.  David,  who  was  brave,  could 
not  listen  to  him  without  indignation,  and  inquired 
who  the  insolent  bully  was.  They  told  who  he  was, 
and  that  he  had  frequently  thus  insulted  them  and  blas- 
phemed the  name  of  God,  and  that  no  one  dared  fight 
him,  though  the  king  had  promised  his  daughter  in 
marriage  to  whoever  would  kill  him. 

"  As  soon  as  David  heard  this,  he  presented  himself 
to  the  king,  and  said  : — '  If  you  choose,  I  will  go  and. 
fight  this  insolent  Philistine.'  Saul  replied  to  him : 
'  You  are  nothing  but  a  child — how  can  you  fight  this 
terrible  giant  ?  he  will  crush  you  with  the  first  blow !' 
— '  Don't  you  believe  it,'  replied  David ;  '  it  is  not 
upon  my  own  strength  that  I  rely,  but  upon  the  pro- 
tection of  God  :  you  know  that  any  thing  may  be 
done  with  His  assistance.  When  I  watched  my 
father's  sheep  in  the  desert,  a  lion  or  a  bear  would 
sometimes  rush  out  and  seize  one  of  them,  but  I  al- 
ways attacked  and  snatched  his  prey  from  him.  It 
was  the  Lord  who  protected  me  ;  and  as  he  delivered 


64  LITTLE-JOHN. 


me  then  from  the  teeth  of  the  bear  and  the  claws  of 
the  lion,  can  He  not  again  defend  me  from  the  fury 
of  this  proud  Philistine  ?' 

"  The  king,  seeing  David  so  determined,  no  longer 
opposed  his  design.  He  offered  him  his  golden  armor 
and  weapons.  But  after  trying  them  on,  the  young 
shepherd  said :  '  I  could  not  get  along  with  this  armor, 
it  is  too  heavy,  and  I  am  not  accustomed  to  it.'  Then 
he  threw  them  off,  and  took  only  his  stick,  his  sling, 
and  his  satchel,  into  which  he  put  a  few  smooth  stones 
that  he  picked  out  on  the  edge  of  the  brook  of  Cedron  : 
after  that  he  marched  forth  with  confidence,  because 
he  trusted  in  God's  assistance. 

"When  Goliath  saw  the  young  shepherd  approaching, 
with  his  bag  and  stick,  he  commenced  mocking  him : 
— '  Do  you  take  me  for  a  dog,'  cried  he,  '  that  you 
approach  me  with  a  stick  ?  Come  on  :  I  will  slay  you, 
and  give  your  flesh  to  the  fowls  of  the  air  and  the 
beasts  of  the  field.' 

"  While  he  was  talking,  David  ran  towards  him, 
and  placing  a  stone  in  his  sling,  threw  it  with  such 
strength  and  skill  that  it  struck  Goliath  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  forehead,  and  the  giant  fell  dead  beneath  the 
blow." 

At  these  words,  Little-John  commenced  clapping 
his  hands,  crying  out — "  Well  done  !  well  done  !  hur- 
rah for  David !"  and  made  such  a  to-do  that  it  was 
some  time  before  Louisa  could  go  on ;  at  last  she  con- 
tinued :  "  Seeing  him  fall,  the  Jews  shouted  for  joy. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  65 


The  Philistines,  panic-stricken,  took  to  flight.  The 
Jews  pursued  and  killed  nearly  all  of  them  ;  so  that 
their  victory  was  complete :  David  had  all  the  glory 
of  it,  and  he  some  time  after  became  king  of  the  Jews 
in  the  place  of  Saul." 

Little- John  was  brave,  and  loved  to  hear  of  battles  ; 
and  he  was  more  delighted  with  this  story  than  with 
any  that  he  had  yet  heard.  He  was  praising  David's 
courage — "  Yes,"  said  Louisa ;  "  but  he  was  as  good 
as  he  was  brave,  and  it  was  from  God  that  he  derived 
his  strength,  and  in  whom  he  put  his  trust.  You  see, 
John,  in  those  days  the  Jews  were  the  friends  of  God 
— they  were  his  chosen  people  ;  but  when  our  Saviour 
came,  they  refused  to  acknowledge  him,  and  put  him 
to  death ;  and  on  that  account  God  cursed  them." 

"  But  take  care,  Louisa,"  said  old  Margaret,  (who, 
while  attending  to  her  knitting,  was  listening  to  her 
grand-children,)  "  you  forget  to  tell  John  that  he  must 
neither  despise  nor  hate  the  Jews.  On  the  contrary, 
he  must  love  them ;  for,  like  us,  they  are  God's  chil- 
dren. We  must  pity  them  for  their  errors,  but  not 
treat  them  the  less  like  brothers,  and  oblige  them  if 
we  can." 

6* 


66  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
THE  SABBATH. 

Every  Sunday  the  good  Margaret  and  her  grand- 
children put  on  their  best  clothes,  dressing  themselves 
as  neatly  as  possible,  and  went  to  church.  Old  Mar- 
garet would  not  allow  any  work  to  be  done  on  that 
day,  nor  would  she  allow  them  to  play  and  romp  about, 
because,  as  she  told  them,  God  had  forbidden  it. 

"  See,  my  children,"  said  she,  "  how  good  the  Lord 
is  to  us  ;  though  he  wishes  us  to  be  industrious  and 
work  hard,  yet  he  knows  that  we  require  rest  some- 
times, and  he  has  set  a  day  apart  for  the  purpose.  He 
promises  to  reward  us  if  we  work  diligently  in  his  ser- 
vice, and  he  will  reward  us  too  if  we  refrain  from 
labor  on  the  Sabbath,  and  keep  it  holy  in  obedience  to 
his  commands." 

Little-John.  Those  who  work  on  Sunday  do  wrong 
then  ? 

Margaret.  Yes,  my  child,  they  disobey  God.  The 
Sabbath  is  the  Lord's  day,  and  we  must  keep  it  holy. 
We  must  neither  buy,  nor  sell,  nor  labor  on  that  day ; 
it  should  be  devoted  to  the  worship  of  God  in  God's 
house ;  and  you  must  be  careful  not  to  imitate  those, 
of  whom  there  are  unfortunately  too  many,  who  vio- 
late the  Sabbath  by  all  manner  of  wickedness — drink- 
ing, gaming,  swearing.     Fly  from  such  people  as  you 


LITTLE-JOHN.  67 


would  from  the  plague,  for  there  is  nothing  so  danger- 
ous as  the  society  of  the  wicked. 

Little-John.  But,  grandmother,  you  were  saying  the 
other  day  that  we  should  not  despise  such  people. 

Margaret.  No,  my  child,  you  must  neither  despise 
nor  hate  them  ;  on  the  contrary,  we  should  be  kind  to 
and  pity  them  ;  but  you  must  not  make  companions 
of  them,  for  fear  of  becoming  as  wicked  as  they.  Lou- 
isa, relate  to  Little -John  the  story  of  Joash  :  he  will 
see  how  a  prince,  well  brought  up,  whose  infancy  God 
had  protected  in  so  remarkable  a  manner,  allowed  him- 
self to  be  led  away  by  evil  example,  and  became  in 
the  end  as  corrupt  and  as  impious  as  those  with  whom 
he  associated. 

And  Louisa  commenced  thus  the  history  of  Joash, 
king  of  Judah. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

HISTORY  OF   JOASH 

"  There  was  a  king  of  the  Jews  named  Ahaziah, 
whose  mother  was  one  of  the  most  wicked  and  cruel 
women  ever  known ;  she  was  called  Athaliah.  One 
day  they  came  and  told  her  that  her  son  had  been 
killed  in  battle  :  immediately  she  resolved  to  seize  upon 
the  throne,  and  in  order  to  put  down  all  opposition, 


68 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


she  commanded  all  the  princes  of  the  royal  family  to 
be  put  to  death,  without  even  excepting  the  infants  in 
the  cradle,  her  own  grandchildren.  While  they  were 
murdering  these  children,  Jehosheba,  Ahaziah's  sister, 
and  the  wife  of  Jehoiada,  the  high-priest,  saved  one  of 
them,  and  hid  him  in  the  temple  with  his  nurse.  He 
was  called  Joash,  and  they  reared  him  in  great  priva- 
cy ;  the  high-priest  educated  him  carefully,  and  taught 
him  to  love  God  and  serve  him. 

"  During  this  time  the  cruel  Athaliah  was  guilty  of 
every  crime.  She  adored  false  gods,  and  compelled 
the  people  to  join  in  their  worship.  Under  her  rule 
the  Jews  became  extremely  wretched  and  wicked. 

"  When  Joash  reached  his  tenth  year,  the  high-priest 
assembled  a  great  many  soldiers  in  the  temple,  and 
made  known  to  them  that  the  little  boy  was  their  king. 
He  made  him  sit  upon  a  throne,  placed  the  crown 
upon  his  head,  and  the  sceptre  in  his  hand.  He  then 
distributed  alms  to  the  soldiers,  and  placed  them  around 
the  throne,  and  they  promised  to  defend  Joash,  and 
serve  him  as  their  master  and  king.  The  doors  of  the 
temple  were  then  thrown  open,  and  the  people  rushed 
in  in  crowds,  shouting,  '  Long  live  the  king  !'  Atha- 
liah, hearing  the  tumult,  ran  to  inquire  the  cause. 
When  she  saw  the  young,  king  upon  his  throne,  she 
flew  into  a  great  rage,  tearing  her  garments,  and  cry- 
ing out,  '  Treason !  treason  V  Immediately  the  high- 
priest  ordered  her  to  be  dragged  from  the  temple,  and 
to  be  put  to  death,  which  was  done  at  once. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  69 


"  Joash  then  reigned,  and  was  a  good  and  wise 
prince  as  long  as  he  followed  the  advice  of  Jehoiada ; 
but  after  the  death  of  that  good  man  he  allowed  him- 
self to  be  led  away  by  the  flattery  and  caresses  of  the 
lords  of  his  court,  who  persuaded  him  to  join  them  in 
the  worship  of  false  gods,  and  to  commit  many  evil 
deeds.  Jehoiada  left  a  son  called  Zechariah,  who  suc- 
ceeded him  in  the  office  of  high-priest.  When  he  saw 
that  Joash  was  forgetting  the  lessons,  and  departing 
from  the  good  counsels  given  him  by  his  father,  he  re- 
proached him  with  it,  and  reminded  him  of  his  duty. 
But  instead  of  heeding  his  good  advice,  and  mending 
his  ways,  Joash  had  him  stoned  to  death.  Zechariah 
died,  uttering  these  words  :  '  God  sees  and  will  punish 
him/  And  God  did  chastise  Joash  for  his  cruel  in- 
gratitude, for  he  allowed  his  enemies  to  invade  his 
kingdom,  and  to  inflict  upon  him  great  suffering.  Af- 
ter that  he  died,  miserably  assassinated  by  his  own 
servants." 

"  Oh  the  scoundrel !  the  villain !"  cried  Little-John, 
"  to  murder  the  son  of  the  man  who  had  been  so  kind 
to  him,  who  took  care  of  him  when  he  was  a  little 
boy,  who  made  him  king.  God  did  right  to  punish 
him  ;  he  deserved  it  richly." 

"  Come  and  kiss  me,  my  dear  child,"  said  Margaret 
to  him  ;  "  you  have  such  a  horror  of  ingratitude,  your 
heart  must  be  a  good  one.  You  are  right,  my  boy, 
there  is  nothing  more  natural  or  more  delightful  than 
to  love  those  who  do  us  good.     It  is  from  gratitude 


70  LITTLE-JOHN. 


that  men  love  God  ;  that  children  cherish  and  respect 
their  parents  ;  and  that  friends  love  one  another.  Un- 
grateful people  ought  not  to  live  as  they  do,  ignorant 
of  those  sentiments  which  alone  can  render  men  good 
and  happy." 

Little- John  did  not  quite  understand  all  that  Mar- 
garet said,  but  he  threw  his  arms  around  her  neck  in 
a  way  to  let  her  see  that  his  heart  guessed  at  all  that 
she  wished  to  teach  him  on  the  subject  of  gratitude. 

"  Little- John,"  she  added,  "  do  not  forget  the  lesson 
that  this  story  teaches.  Joash,  as  you  see,  was  good 
and  pious  as  long  as  he  followed  good  advice  ;  he  be- 
came sinful  and  cruel,  because  he  did  not  shun  the 
company  of  the  wicked.  My  child,  you  will  soon 
now  be  eight  years  old,  and  then  you  will  go  to  school. 
You  will  see  there  all  sorts  of  boys  ;  among  them  I 
fear  many  who  have  not  been  taught  to  fear  God  and 
love  virtue.  Take  care  that  you  are  not  led  away  by 
their  example  ;  do  not  despise,  but  shun  them.  But 
if,  on  the  contrary,  you  meet  with  a  child  attentive  to 
his  duties,  obedient  and  respectful  to  his  parents  and 
teachers,  kind  and  obliging  to  every  one — that  is  the 
boy  to  make  your  friend.  And  when  you  grow  up  to 
be  a  man,  you  must  continue  to  seek  your  companions 
among  the  honest  and  the  virtuous ;  for  we  invariably 
get  to  resemble  those  with  whom  we  most  associate." 


LITTLE-JOHN.  71 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE  SWALLOW'S  NEST. 


"  Louisa  !  Louisa  !  look  here  at  the  dear  little  birds 
that  I  took  from  under  the  eaves  of  the  house  !  I  was 
near  breaking  my  neck,  but  that  is  nothing,  as  I  have 
gotten  them.     Are  you  not  glad,  Louisa  ?" 

Louisa.  Indeed  I  am  not,  John.  If  it  is  for  me  that 
you  have  performed  this  fine  exploit,  I  thank  you  for 
your  good  intentions ;  but  I  assure  you,  that  I  would 
much  rather  see  these  poor  little  birds  in  their  nest 
under  their  mother's  wings,  than  to  have  them  here, 
all  trembling  with  cold,  and  destined  to  die  of  starva- 
tion. 

Little-John.  Die  of  starvation !  what  do  you  mean, 
Louisa?  I  will  feed  and  take  the  greatest  care  of 
them,  and  then  tame  them. 

Louisa.  Unfortunately,  that  is  impossible.  They 
are  young  swallows.  They  can  only  live  upon  flies 
and  other  insects,  and  it  is  necessary  that  this  food 
should  be  prepared  for  them  by  their  mother,  that  you 
have  no  doubt  rendered  very  unhappy  by  depriving  of 
her  young  ones. 

Little-John.  That  then  is  the  reason  that  I  saw  two 
birds  flying  and  chirping  so  hard  around  the  nest ;  and 
they  flew  at  me,  as  if  they  wished  to  attack  me,  when 
I  took  the  young  ones. 


72 


LITTLE-JOIIX 


Louisa.  No  doubt  of  it,  Little- John.  You  have 
rendered  a  poor  family  desolate  without  the  possibility 
of  profiting  by  your  cruelty ;  for  even  should  you 
succeed  in  feeding  and  rearing  the  birds,  you  will  not 
be  able  to  keep  them  long.  Swallows  cannot  exist  in 
a  cage  ;  they  require  their  full  liberty,  and  they  never 
pass  the  winter  with  us,  because  then  it  would  be  too 
cold,  and  they  would  no  longer  find  any  thing  to  eat. 

Little- John.  But  where  do  they  go  during  the  win- 
ter? 

Louisa.  Towards  autumn  they  assemble  in  great 
flocks,  and  set  out  all  together  for  countries  where  the 


LITTLE-JOHN.  73 


heat  is  greater  than  it  is  with  us ;  South  America,  for 
instance.  The  following  spring  they  return  to  us,  build 
their  nests,  lay  their  eggs,  hatch,  and  rear  their  young, 
which  are  strong  enough  in  the  fall  to  accompany 
their  parents.  If  you  take  my  advice,  John,  you  will 
put  these  poor  little  birds  back  in  their  nest :  and  go 
quietly,  now,  and  then  see  how  carefully  their  mother 
will  feed  them,  and  warm  them  with  her  wings,  and 
teach  them  to  fly. 

Little-John  ran  immediately  to  replace  the  birds  in 
their  nest,  but  in  his  hurry  he  was  careless  ;  the  nest 
gave  way,  fell  to  the  ground,  and  the  little  birds  were 
killed  by  the  fall,  for  their  wings  were  too  bare  of 
feathers  to  be  of  any  assistance  to  them.  Little- John, 
quite  ashamed,  picked  up  the  nest,  and  came  with  a 
sorrowful  face  to  his  sister,  and  told  her  of  the  sad 
fate  of  the  little  birds  :  he  did  not  fail  to  prove  to  her 
that  this  misfortune  was  caused  by  the  giving  way  of 
the  nest,  by  the  birds  refusing  to  go  into  it,  and  not  at 
all  by  any  fault  of  his  ;  and  then  he  made  haste  to  ask 
her  if  the  swallows  built  the  nest  themselves,  and  with 
what  they  built  it. 

"  With  a  mixture  of  mud  and  straw,"  replied  Louisa. 
"  Observe  what  patience,  what  industry,  the  poor  birds 
must  have  had,  to  bring  in  their  bills  all  this  mud,  and 
to  stick  it  to  the  wall,  and  to  give  it  the  proper  shape." 

Just  then  old  Tom  came  in.  Little-John  was  so 
occupied  with  his  swallow's  nest,  that  he  almost  forgot 
to  speak  to  his  old  friend. 

7 


74  LITTLE-JOHN. 


"  What  are  you  examining  with  so  much  attention  ?" 
asked  the  old  sailor. 

Little-John.  Uncle  Tom,  how  is  it  possible  to  con- 
ceive that  a  bird  can,  with  nothing  but  its  bill,  build  a 
nest  like  that  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  a  bird  must  have 
more  sense  than  a  man ;  for  a  man,  with  the  same 
means,  could  not  do  as  much. 

Tom.  What  then  would  you  say,  if  you  knew  what 
beavers  can  do  ?  They  know  how  to  cut  down  trees, 
drive  posts,  mix  mortar,  construct  dams  across  rivers, 
and  build  two-story  houses,  with  more  industry  and 
patience  than  savages  often  employ ;  and  they  do  all 
this  with  no  other  tools  than  their  teeth,  their  paws, 
and  their  tails. 

Little-John.  I  should  say  that  beavers  are  as  wise 
as  men  ;  as  you  tell  me  yourself,  Uncle  Tom,  that 
savages  cannot  build  houses  as  good  as  theirs. 

Tom.  Well,  you  would  be  mistaken,  Little-John, 
because  man  can  invent  all  sorts  of  things  of  himself ; 
whereas,  animals  can  invent  nothing.  Man  can  ac- 
quire knowledge,  and  profit  by  the  experience  of  those 
that  have  gone  before  him  ;  animals  .cannot.  The 
experience  that  one  of  them  might,  by  chance,  acquire, 
can  be  useful  only  to  itself,  and  cannot  be  made  use 
of  by  the  others.  All  that  man  knows  how  to  do  is 
the  product  of  study  and  reflection  :  animals  are  in- 
capable of  study  or  reflection.  Their  skill  is  not  ac- 
quired, but  is  given  them  by  the  Creator,  without  their 
knowing  it.     Thus,  study  and  thought  were  not  ne- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  75 


cessary  to  the  swallow  to  build  that  nest  you  admired 
so ;  she  built  it  naturally,  without  having  been  taught 
to  do  so.  Swallows  build  no  better  now  than  they 
did  a  thousand  years  ago.  They  labor  without  being 
able  to  avoid  it — without  foresight  and  without  intelli- 
gence. I  saw,  myself,  a  swallow  exhausting  itself  in 
attempting  to  build  its  nest  over  a  door,  just  where  a 
bell-wire  passed.  Each  time  that  the  bell  was  pulled, 
the  motion  of  the  wire  destroyed  the  work  that  had 
been  done,  and  the  poor  bird  could  not  understand 
that  it  was  necessary  to  build  elsewhere.  So  it  is 
with  beavers  ;  they  have  always  been  just  as  skilful  as 
now  ;  they  have  neither  invented  nor  improved  any 
thing.  The  first  men  created  may  not  perhaps  have 
been  able  to  do  as  much  as  beavers  ;  but,  since  then, 
the  beavers  have  remained  stationary,  at  the  same 
point ;  whereas,  human  intelligence  has  wrought  won- 
ders. In  the  earliest  times,  the  only  dwelling-places 
that  men  had  were  caves,  or  cabins,  built  of  the  limbs 
and  leaves  of  trees  ;  now  they  possess  the  art,  not 
only  of  constructing  safe  and  comfortable  houses,  but 
magnificent  palaces,  bridges  that  span  the  widest 
rivers,  and  ships  that  navigate  the  remotest  seas. 
The  first  of  our  race  knew  nothing  of  iron.  Tubal- 
cain  was  the  first  man  to  make  use  of  and  fashion  it 
into  tools  ;  but  now  what  work  is  there  that  we  cannot 
perform  with  iron  ?  Ploughs,  scythes,  guns,  utensils 
and  tools  of  every  description,  are  made  from  it. 
Astonishing  machines,  that,  with  the  aid  of  fire  and 


76  LITTLE- JOHN, 


water,  work  of  themselves,  are,  as  it  were,  additional 
arms  and  hands,  of  incalculable  power,  that  man  has 
acquired  by  his  own  industry.  There  was  a  time 
when  we  had  to  guess  at  the  time  of  day  by  looking 
at  the  sun.  Then  water  and  sand  clocks  were  invented, 
by  means  of  which,  time  was  measured,  by  the  quan- 
tity of  water  or  fine  sand  that  ran  through  a  small 
hole.  Then  came  clocks  with  weights  and  pendulums, 
like  the  one  in  the  church-steeple,  that  noted  the 
hours  with  perfect  regularity  ;  and  finally,  means  were 
discovered  to  enclose  in  the  size  of  a  common  watch 
ail  the  machinery  necessary  to  mark  the  hour  every- 
where, and  at  each  instant,  with  the  utmost  exactness. 

You  must  see,  then,  that  the  blind  instinct  that 
o-uides  animals  even  in  their  most  admirable  works,  is 
not  comparable  with  human  intelligence,  which  reasons, 
invents,  profits  by  the  inventions  of  others,  and  which 
is  always  advancing  towards  perfection. 

Little-John.  Yet,  Uncle  Tom,  you  told  me  that  there 
were  savages  even  now  in  existence  incapable  of  doing 
what  the  beavers  do.  How  is  it  that  with  all  their  in- 
telligence and  in  so  long  a  time  they  know  so  little  ? 

Tom.  It  is,  my  child,  because  they  are  so  lazy,  that, 
provided  they  get  enough  to  eat  and  drink  for  the  mo- 
ment, they  will  do  nothing.  They  lower  themselves 
voluntarily  to  the  condition  of  brutes  in  obeying  noth- 
ing but  their  idle  inclinations.  They  will  not  work, 
and  the  happy  fruits  of  industry  and  science  can  only 
be  obtained   by  application  and  labor.     The  richest 


LITTLE-JOHN.  77 


field  in  the  world,  left  uncultivated,  will  produce  noth- 
ing but  weeds  and  briers  ;  so  it  is  with  man's  intelli- 
gence, and  it  is  only  by  persevering  study  that  it  can 
achieve  great  things.  You  have,  doubtless,  more  than 
once  found  it  disagreeable  to  labor. 

Little- John.  Indeed  I  have,  Uncle  Tom. 

Tom.  Well  then,  my  child,  learn  that  it  is  man's 
glory  and  dignity  to  triumph  over  himself,  and  to  de- 
vote himself  to  rude  labor.  His  superiority  consists  in 
the  power  which  he  possesses  to  guide  himself  towards 
that  which  is  useful  to  others,  and  towards  that  which 
is  just  and  right,  notwithstanding  the  alluring  pleasures 
of  idleness,  which  tempt  him  to  a  contrary  course. 
This  is  why  you  are  so  self-satisfied  when  you  have 
had  the  perseverance  and  industry  to  perform,  without 
unnecessary  delay,  any  difficult  task.  If  you  wish  to 
become  a  man  really  worthy  of  the  name,  think  nei- 
ther of  pleasure  nor  interest,  but  labor  always  bravely 
to  do  your  duty.  Let  your  motto  be,  Do  what  you 
ought,  happen  what  will. 

7# 


78  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 
HOUSES. 

When  old  Margaret  was  obliged  to  go  out  for  pro- 
visions, or  to  seek  or  return  work,  she  always  did  so 
without  the  slightest  anxiety  about  her  domestic  af- 
fairs. Little-John  never  played  either  with  the  fire  or 
with  knives  ;  he  never  climbed  upon  the  chairs  or  ta- 
bles, or  littered  up  the  house.  When  Louisa  told  him 
to  do  any  thing,  instead  of  giving  her  an  insolent  an- 
swer, or  refusing  to  listen  to  her,  as  many  bad  chil- 
dren would  have  done,  he  was  just  as  obedient  to  her 
as  to  Margaret,  and  they  never  quarrelled.  Louisa 
was  very  industrious,  and  Little-John  was  in  the  habit 
of  seating  himself  near  her  on  his  little  stool,  and  they 
conversed  together  like  good  friends.  One  day  that 
they  were  thus  alone  together,  Little- John  said  to  Lou- 
isa :  "  Sister,  do  tell  me  how  houses  are  built." 

Louisa.  Willingly  :  when  they  built  the  new  house 
up  the  road,  I  had  to  pass  that  way  every  day  ;  and  I 
noticed  particularly  how  they  did  it.  In  the  first  place, 
they  dug  out  the  cellar,  and  then  all  around  the  sides 
of  the  cellar,  they  dug  ditches.  These  ditches  were 
then  filled  up  with  a  wall  of  large  stones  laid  in  mor- 
tar, and  the  walls  were  continued  up  until  they  reach- 
ed a  little  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  upon 
this  stone  they  laid  the  brick  wall.     Uncle  Tom  told 


LITTLE-JOHN.  79 


me  that  they  had  to  dig  the  ditches  in  order  that  the 
foundation  of  the  building  might  stand  upon  more  solid 
earth  than  that  at  the  surface,  because  if  they  were  to 
build  upon  the  surface,  when  the  wall  reached  a  little 
elevation,  its  great  weight  would  cause  it  to  settle,  or 
sink  more  in  one  place  than  another,  and  the  house 
would  tumble  down.  That  part  of  the  walls  conceal- 
ed under  ground  is  called  the  foundation  of  the  house. 
In  carrying  up  the  walls  they  took  care  to  leave  places 
for  the  doors  and  windows.  The  carpenters  then  laid 
large  pieces  of  wood  regularly  across  from  wall  to 
wall,  called  sleepers,  for  the  floor  to  lie  on  ;  and  final- 
ly, when  the  walls  were  finished,  the  carpenters  put 
up  the  frame  of  the  roof,  large  pieces  of  wood  laid  in 
a  slanting  direction,  with  their  extremities  meeting  at 
top,  called  rafters  ;  upon  these,  planks  were  nailed 
close  together  ;  and  upon  the  planks  were  nailed  the 
shingles,  as  you  see  them.  In  this  way  the  house  was 
covered  in,  and  safe  from  rain. 

Little-John,  Then  the  house  was  finished  ? 

Louisa.  Oh  no,  that  was  only  half  the  work.  The 
carpenters  then  made  doors,  window-shutters,  floors, 
and  a  great  many  other  things ;  then  the  locksmiths 
had  their  work  to  do  ;  and  then  the  plasterers  plas- 
tered the  walls  ;  after  them  came  the  painters,  who 
covered  all  the  wood- work  with  paint,  not  only  to  make 
it  look  better,  but  to  preserve  it.  They  were  nearly  a 
year  in  finishing  the  house  completely. 

Little-John.  How  much  labor  to   build  a  house  ! 


80  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Could  not  the  masons  have  done  all  that  by  them- 
selves ? 

Louisa.  No  ;  God  created  men  to  live  together  in 
society,  and  they  must  mutually  assist  each  other  in 
all  that  they  do.  Masons  alone  could  not  finish  a 
house  if  other  men  did  not  do  the  wood-work ;  the 
carpenters  in  their  turn  could  do  nothing,  if  the  cut- 
lers did  not  make  for  them  the  tools  with  which  they 
work  the  wood.  And  so  it  is  with  every  thing  else. 
The  baker  has  need  of  the  mason  to  construct  his 
dwelling  and  his  oven.  The  mason  has  to  look  to  the 
baker  to  bake  his  bread.  God  has  so  ordered  it,  and 
this  proves  to  us  that  we  should  aid  one  another,  and 
dwell  together  in  peace  and  harmony. 

Little-John.  Now,  Louisa,  you  who  know  so  much, 
tell  me  about  those  savages  that  you  and  grand- 
ma were  talking  of  the  other  day ;  can  they  build 
houses  ? 

Louisa.  Those  who  live  in  warm  countries  only 
build  huts  made  of  reeds  and  mud  or  other  perishable 
materials.  Uncle  Tom  loaned  me  a  book  of  voyages 
that  is  very  interesting.  There  is  an  account  in  it  of 
a  tribe  of  savages  that  build  their  habitations  in  the 
tops  of  high  trees  to  avoid  the  wild  beasts  and  the 
overflow  of  the  rivers.  They  reach  these  dwellings 
by  means  of  ladders,  which  at  night  are  pulled  up  so 
as  to  cut  off  all  communication  with  the  ground. 
There  are  people  called  Laplanders ;  they  live  in  a 
country  so  cold,  that  the  ground  is  almost  always  cov- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  81 


ered  with  ice  and  snow.  These  people  live  in  huts 
made  of  poles  covered  with  sods,  and  shaped  like  bells, 
with  a  hole  in  the  top  for  the  escape  of  the  smoke. 
The  fire  is  made  on  the  ground  in  the  centre  of  the 
hut.  These  Laplanders  are  very  wretched ;  nothing 
grows  in  their  country  but  pine-trees  and  moss.  Their 
nights  in  winter  are  two  months  in  length,  and  as  the 
water  then  is  all  frozen,  when  they  want  to  drink  they 
have  to  thaw  it  over  the  fire.  In  summer  they  take 
quantities  of  fish,  which  they  dry  in  the  sun,  and 
put  away  for  winter  use.  They  possess  herds  of  rein- 
deer, a  species  of  deer,  which  supply  them  with  meat 
and  milk,  and  serve  them  instead  of  horses  in  drag- 
ging their  sleds.  There  are  other  people,  inhabiting 
hot  climates,  who  have  no  houses.  Such  are  the  Ara- 
bians or  Arabs :  they  are  continually  moving  from 
place  to  place,  and  dwell  in  tents  made  of  haircloth 
and  skins,  as  Abraham  and  Jacob  did. 

Little-John.  Could  they  not  build  houses  in  Jacob's 
time  ? 

Louisa.  To  be  sure  they  could.  The  first  city  was 
built  by  one  of  Cain's  sons,  a  long  time  before  the  del- 
uge. Do  you  not  remember  the  towfcr  of  Babel,  that 
they  attempted  to  build  after  the  deluge,  in  defiance 
of  God's  power  ?  Do  you  remember  how  he  defeated 
their  design,  and  confounded  their  pride,  by  causing 
the  confusion  of  tongues,  so  that  they  could  not  un- 
derstand one  another  ?  They  were  obliged  to  separ- 
ate without  accomplishing  their  work  ;  but  you  must 


82  LITTLE-JOHN. 


perceive  that  in  those  days  men  were  already  capable 
of  erecting  grand  and  durable  buildings. 

Little-John.  Why,  then,  was  Jacob  without  a  house  ? 
What  is  a  tent  like  ? 

Louisa.  A  tent  is  a  large  piece  of  canvas,  or  cloth, 
stretched  over  poles  and  pinned  to  the  ground,  around 
the  edges,  by  wooden  pins  driven  in  for  the  purpose. 
It  affords  sufficient  protection  from  wind  and  rain,  and 
is  so  light  as  to  be  easily  set  up  and  taken  down  and 
transported  from  place  to  place.  When  an  army  goes 
to  war,  tents  are  carried  along,  and  the  soldiers  set 
them  up,  or,  as  they  term  it,  pitch  them,  wherever  they 
establish  a  camp.  A  camp  is  a  city,  with  regular 
streets,  composed  of  tents.  It  can  be  put  up  in  the 
evening  and  moved  elsewhere  the  next  morning.  Thus 
the  patriarchs  dwelt  under  tents  made  of  haircloth  or 
skins.  As  they  possessed  immense  flocks,  and  did  not 
cultivate  the  earth,  they  had  to  shift  their  ground  when 
the  surrounding  pastures  were  exhausted.  But  this 
mode  of  living  is  only  possible  when  the  population  of 
a  country  is  very  thin.  Lot  and  Abraham  had  to 
separate  when  their  flocks  became  too  numerous. 
Abraham,  Isaac*  and  Jacob  preferred  this  simple  and 
independent  mode  of  life ;  nevertheless,  in  their  day, 
large  cities  and  magnificent  palaces  were  constructed, 
for  the  kingdoms  of  Egypt  and  Babylon  were  already 
flourishing,  and  the  pyramids  were  built  about  that 
time. 

Little- John.  What  are  pyramids  ? 


LITTLE-JOHN.  83 


Louisa.  They  are  enormous  edifices,  square  at  the 
base,  and  terminating  at  the  top  in  a  point — shaped 
precisely  like  our  lye- hopper  turned  upside-down. 
They  were  erected  to  serve  as  tombs  to  their  kings,  or 
for  some  other  unknown  purpose ;  and  so  solidly  con- 
structed of  granite,  as  still  to  be  in  a  perfect  state  at 
the  end  of  more  than  three  thousand  years. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
GHOSTS, 

One  evening  John  had  been  to  see  his  Uncle  Tom, 
and  remained  later  than  usual :  he  put  on  his  hat  to 
return  home,  for  it  was  already  dark, — but  to  return 
to  Margaret's  he  had  to  pass  by  the  graveyard.  He 
had  often  heard  the  most  extraordinary  accounts  of 
ghosts,  and  goblins,  and  spirits  ;  and,  brave  as  he  was, 
he  felt  somewhat  afraid  to  travel  the  road  alone,  and 
at  night.  He  took  care  to  say  nothing  to  Uncle  Tom 
about  it,  for  fear  of  being  laughed  at ;  but  he  asked 
him  if  he  would  not  accompany  him  to  see  his  grand- 
mother. But  the  old  sailor  guessed  at  the  little  boy's 
thoughts,  and  said : 

"  John,  are  you  afraid,  after  boasting  the  other  day 
how  hard  you  would  fight  if  you  were  a  soldier  ?  Do 
you  know  that  then  you  would  often  have  to  mount 


84  LITTLE-JOHN. 


guard  by  yourself,  in  the  most  lonely  spots,  and  in  the 
night,  and  for  hours  together  ?" 

While  talking,  Uncle  Tom  was  gathering  up  his 
cane,  his  lantern,  and  his  hat,  for  he  was  a  good-hearted 
old  fellow,  and  knew  how  to  pity  the  weakness  of 
others  ;  and  he  knew,  too,  that  ridicule  was  not  the 
best  way  to  remove  Little-John's  superstitious  fears. 

"  So,  my  boy,"  said  he  to  him,  "  you  have  been  list- 
ening to  stories  about  ghosts  ?  You  have  been  told 
that  the  devil  and  hobgoblins  sometimes  visited  the 
world  to  frighten  and  torment  people  ?  Now,  remem- 
ber what  I  tell  you,  there  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  any 
of  it ;  there  are  no  such  things  as  spirits  that  return. 
They  never  have  and  never  will  be  seen,  because 
there  are  none.  As  to  the  devil,  it  is  very  true  he 
tempts  and  often  urges  us  to  evil ;  but  all  that  is  in  our 
thoughts,  and  God  never  permits  him  to  become  visi- 
ble to  us.  When  you  hear  people  relating  such  wonder- 
ful stories,  ask  them  if  they  themselves  have  seen  what 
they  describe.  I  will  warrant  they  answer,  no  ;  or,  if 
they  do  pretend  to  have  seen  any  thing,  it  is  always 
at  night,  or  they  were  half  asleep — or,  what  is  more 
likely,  blinded  by  their  foolish  fears.  When  we  allow 
ourselves  to  be  thus  overcome  with  fear,  we  are  no  lon- 
ger capable  of  seeing  or  judging  any  thing  in  its  true 
light.  This  is  how  it  happened,  last  winter,  that  Maria 
mistook  the  miller's  old  white  horse  for  a  ghost,  and 
went  to  the  minister,  frightened  half  out  of  her  senses, 
to  beg  that  he  would  protect  her  from  it.     The  miller 


LITTLE-JOHN.  85 


has  ever  since  called  his  horse  Maria's  ghost.  I  am  a 
very  old  man,  now,  and  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of 
the  world,  yet  I  have  never  met  with  a  sensible  person 
who  had  seen  a  ghost." 

Little-John.  But  there  are  jack-o'-lanterns,  Uncle 
Tom.  I  saw  one  myself,  the  other  night,  in  the  big 
meadow  near  the  graveyard  ;  and  I  ran  away  very 
quickly,  for  old  Aunt  Jane  told  me  that  they  danced 
before  us  to  dazzle  and  lead  us  astray,  that  we  might 
fall  in  the  water,  or  get  lost ;  and  she  says  that  they 
are  the  souls  of  little  children  that  died  without  being 
christened. 

Tom.  Don't  you  believe  one  word  of  all  these  tales, 
my  child ;  souls  never  return,  and  if  they  did,  why 
should  they  do  us  harm  ?  As  to  the  jack-o'-lanterns,  it's 
all  very  natural  ;  they  are  produced  by  a  particular 
kind  of  air,  which  takes  fire  when  in  contact  with  the 
atmosphere.  This  air,  or  gas,  is  generated  in  the  earth 
wherever  there  are  animal  remains  in  a  state  of  decay ; 
this  is  why  jack-o'-lanterns  are  more  frequently  seen 
about  graveyards  than  elsewhere :  what  is  more,  they 
are  never  seen  except  at  night,  for  their  feeble  bluish 
flames  give  too  little  light  to  be  seen  in  the  daytime  ; 
nor  is  it  at  all  wonderful  that  accidents  happen  to 
those  who  are  so  foolish  as  to  follow  them  through  the 
darkness.  The  same  accidents  would  be  likely  to  oc- 
cur were  you  to  follow  any  thing  else  at  night.  When 
I  first  went  to  sea,  I  awoke  one  ni^ht,  and  saw  terrible 
words  written  in  letters  of  fire  upon  the  deck  of  the 

8 


86  LITTLE-JOHN. 


ship.  It  was  a  trick  of  my  messmates ;  as  I  was  a 
greenhorn,  they  thought  to  take  advantage  of  my  ig- 
norance, and  amuse  themselves  with  my  fright :  but 
they  missed  it,  for  I  was  not  the  least  alarmed,  as  I 
happened  to  know  what  can  be  done  with  phosphorus. 

Little-John.  What  is  phosphorus  ? 

Tom.  Phosphorus  is  a  substance  luminous  at  night, 
because  it  burns  slowly  when  exposed  to  the  air. 
When  figures  are  traced  upon  a  wall  with  a  piece  ot 
phosphorus,  these  figures  appear  luminous  in  darkness, 
until  the  small  quantity  of  phosphorus  rubbed  off  on 
the  wall  is  consumed ;  so  with  figures  drawn  with 
charcoal,  they  appear  black  because  a  small  portion  of 
the  charcoal  remains  attached  to  the  wall.  It  is  this 
very  phosphorus  that  causes  the  jack-o'-lanterns,  and 
it  is  found  in  the  bones  and  brains  of  animals.  Do  not, 
then,  my  boy,  be  easily  frightened  when  you  see  any 
new  thing  that  may  appear  supernatural  to  you,  for 
you  may  be  certain  that  when  you  come  to  examine 
closely,  and  understand  it,  it  will  appear  quite  natural ; 
but,  understand  it  or  not,  you  may  rely  upon  it  that 
there  are  no  such  things  as  ghosts,  devils,  or  evil 
spirits,  that  come  upon  the  earth  to  disturb  the  repose 
of  the  living. 

Little- John.  But  why  do  they  relate  such  tales,  if 
they  are  not  true  ? 

Tom.  Generally  for  amusement,  like  any  other  fic- 
tion. But  it  is  a  dangerous  amusement,  calculated  to 
lead  into  error   children  like  yourself  and  ignorant 


LITTLE-JOHN.  87 


people.  As  to  those  who  relate  these  tales  seriously, 
they  from  ignorance  really  believe  what  they  relate, 
or  they  are  people  with  ill-balanced  minds  who  delight 
in  the  horrible  and  the  supernatural ;  but  you  must 
always  be  as  willing  to  receive  the  truths  of  our  holy 
religion,  though  you  may  not  understand  them,  as  un- 
willing to  give  credit  to  such  absurdities  as  ghosts  and 
goblins. 

Continuing  in  this  manner  the  conversation,  Little- 
John  and  Uncle  Tom  arrived  at  Margaret's  cottage  : 
the  old  man  wished  the  family  a  good-night,  and  re- 
turned home. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


STORY    OF   TOBIT. 


Little-John,  growing  to  be  a  good  stout  boy,  com- 
menced going  to  school.  As  he  had  profited  by  Mar- 
garet's lessons  and  good  advice,  he  was  distinguished 
in  the  school  for  his  good  conduct,  his  obedience,  and 
his  industry.  He  soon  acquired  the  friendship  and 
esteem  of  his  teachers,  for  good  and  docile  children 
are  beloved  by  everybody.  In  going  to,  or  in  return- 
ing from  school,  he  never  got  into  mischief  by  loiter- 
ing on  the  way  and  playing  with  bad  boys.  He  was 
so  attentive  to  his  books,  that  in  a  short  time  he  made 
great  progress. 


88  LITTLE-JOHN. 


He  had  been  going  to  school  but  a  few  months,  when 
one  day  he  returned  home  in  high  spirits.  He  put  his 
basket  carefully  away  in  its  usual  place,  and  then  ran 
and  threw  his  arms  around  his  grandmother's  neck, 
and  kissed  her.  When  evening  came,  and  old  Mar- 
garet had  taken  her  knitting,  and  Louisa  had  taken 
down  her  work-basket  and  commenced  sewing,  Little- 
John  took  out  of  his  basket  a  book  that  he  had  brought, 
and  commenced  reading  aloud,  and  remarkably  well, 
the  following  story  : 

"  '  Tobit  was  an  excellent  young  man,  and  served 
God  faithfully'  "— 

"  What !  is  it  possible  that  John  knows  how  to 
read  ?"  cried  the  grandmother,  letting  her  knitting  fall 
in  her  astonishment.  "  Come,  my  child,  and  let  me 
give  you  a  kiss.  It  seems,  Louisa,  that  you  were  in 
the  secret,  as  it  does  not  appear  to  astonish  you." 

"  Yes,  grandmother,  I  was,"  said  Louisa,  jumping 
with  joy.  "  Little- John  has  known  how  to  read  for 
more  than  a  week  ;  but  wTe  preferred  keeping  the  sur- 
prise for  you  until  to-day,  as  it  is  your  birthday." 

"  Thank  you,  my  dear  children.  Our  cottage  is 
small,  and  poverty  not  far  off;  but  you,  my  dearest, 
render  me  happy.  You  are  a  noble  fellow,  John,  to 
have  studied  so  hard  to  learn  to  read  quickly,  in  order 
to  give  your  poor  old  grandmother  such  an  agreeable 
surprise  ;  and  you,  Louisa,  you  are  a  good  sister  to  re- 
joice as  you  do  at  your  brother's  success.  Kiss  me 
again,  my  dear  children  ;  and  may  God  reward  you 


LITTLE-JOHN.  89 


for  all  the  happiness  you  cause  me.  Now  let  us  hear 
the  story.  Begin  again,  Little-John  ;  and  Louisa  and 
I  will  listen  to  our  little  reader." 

Little-John  opened  his  book  again,  and  commenced 
reading,  in  a  voice  trembling  with  emotion  : 

"  '  Tobit  was  an  excellent  young  man,  and  served 
God  faithfully.  While  other  young  men  of  his  age 
adored  false  gods,  shared  the  worship  of  pagans,  and 
participated  in  their  unhallowed  amusements,  he  bowed 
to  the  true  and  living  God,  and  abstained  from  all  for- 
bidden pleasures.  When  of  age  he  married  a  woman 
named  Anna,  and  had  a  son  that  he  named  after  him- 
self, and  whom  he  took  care  to  bring  up  in  the  fear  of 
the  Lord. 

" '  The  enemy  invaded  Tobit's  country,  and  carried 
him  off  into  captivity,  together  with  his  wife,  his  son, 
and  all  his  household.  When  he  dwelt  in  Nineveh, 
the  city  to  which  his  captors  carried  him,  he  continued 
to  lead  an  honest,  upright  life,  and  to  serve  God  faith- 
fully. He  constantly  endeavored  to  render  himself 
useful  to  his  relations,  his  friends,  and  his  companions 
in  captivity  :  he  visited  the  sick,  relieved  the  poor, 
and  consoled  the  afflicted.  Meeting  one  day  a  coun- 
tryman of  his  reduced  to  poverty  and  in  great  distress, 
he  loaned  him  a  large  sum  of  money.  The  man  gave 
him  his  written  bond,  and  promised  to  return  the 
money  as  soon  as  he  could. 

"  '  The  king  of  Nineveh  was  a  cruel  ruler.  He 
harassed  in  a  thousand  ways  the  Israelites  whom  he  had 

8* 


90  LITTLE-JOHN. 


captured,  and  put  many  of  them  to  death.  Those 
that  were  slain  were  left  lying  in  the  street.  Tobit, 
wno  knew  that  a  respect  for  the  dead  is  acceptable  in 
the  sight  of  God,  was  in  the  habit  of  going  out  at  night 
and  burying  such  bodies  as  he  could  find.  The  king 
discovering  it,  confiscated  all  his  property,  and  order- 
ed him  to  be  executed.  Tobit  warned  in  time  took 
to  flight,  with  his  wife  and  child ;  but  his  property  be- 
ing seized,  he  was  reduced  to  great  poverty.  But  a 
still  more  dreadful  misfortune  awaited  him.  One  day, 
when  asleep  under  the  eaves  of  his  house,  the  filth 
from  a  swallow's  nest  fell  into  his  eyes,  and  rendered 
him  totally  blind.  Thus  he  was  deprived  of  all  means 
of  gaining  a  livelihood,  and  his  only  resource  was  the 
labor  of  his  wife,  wTho  was  obliged  to  weave  for  the 
support  of  the  family. 

'"Under  these  accumulated  misfortunes,  Tobit 
never  despaired  :  his  trust  was  in  God,  and  he  pa- 
tiently called  upon  him  night  and  morning  for  deliver- 
ance. One  day  this  good  man,  thinking  that  he  was 
soon  to  die,  called  his  son  to  him,  and  after  giving  him  a 
great  deal  of  advice  for  the  guidance  of  his  future  life, 
said  to  him :  "  My  son,  several  years  ago  I  loaned  a  sum 
of  money  to  one  of  our  countrymen,  who  lives  very 
far  from  here  in  the  town  of  Rages  :  here  is  his  bond; 
go,  present  it  to  him,  and  collect  the  money  before  I 
die,  for  I  wish  you  to  have  it."  His  son  replied  :  "  Fa- 
ther, I  am  ready  to  do  whatever  you  may  wish,  but  I 
have  never  been  at  Rages,  and  I  am  ignorant  of  the 


LITTLE-JOHN.  91 


route." — ■"  My  son,"  said  the  old  man,  "  look  about 
town  ;  perhaps  you  may  find  some  traveller  going 
that  way  wTho  will  suffer  you  to  accompany  him." 

"  '  Young  Tobias  did  as  his  father  advised,  and  met 
with  a  handsome  young  man,  who  offered  to  be  his 
guide.  He  took  the  young  man  to  his  father.  Tobit 
questioned  the  stranger ;  was  satisfied  with  his  sensi- 
ble and  modest  replies,  and  was  delighted  that  his  son 
should  have  found  a  companion  who  appeared  so 
amiable  and  prudent.  Young  Tobias  embraced  his 
parents,  and  set  out  accompanied  by  the  house-dog. 
As  he  travelled,  he  arrived  near  a  large  river  called 
the  Tigris.  Seating  himself  on  the  shore,  he  was  about 
to  wash  his  feet,  when  a  large  fish  leaped  forth,  and 
would  have  devoured  him.  Tobias  in  a  fright  called 
his  companion,  who  said  to  him :  "  Seize  that  fish  by 
the  gills,  and  pull  him  ashore."  Tobias  did  so,  and  the 
fish  soon  died.  His  guide  said  to  him  again  :  "  Now 
take  out  the  fish's  gall,  put  it  up  carefully,  and  take  it 
with  you."  Tobias  did  readily  all  that  he  told  him. 
The  young  men  in  the  course  of  their  journey,  arrived 
at  the  house  of  one  Raguel,  a  wealthy  man,  and  a  re- 
lation of  Tobias's  father  :  they  were  very  kindly  re- 
ceived, and  hospitably  entertained. 

"  '  Their  host  had  a  daughter,  good  and  virtuous, 
and  beautiful  as  she  was  .good.  By  the  advice  of  his 
young  friend,  Tobias  asked  her  father  to  let  him  marry 
her.  Raguel  consented,  and  with  his  daughter  gave 
him  half  his  wealth. 


92  LITTLE-JOHN. 


" '  During  the  wedding  festivities,  Tobias's  com- 
panion continued  on  to  Rages,  collected  the  money, 
and  brought  it  to  him. 

"  '  Raguel  endeavored  to  persuade  Tobias  to  remain 
some  time  with  him.  Tobias  told  him  that  he  had  al- 
ready been  from  home  longer  than  he  intended,  that 
his  father  and  mother  counted  the  days  of  his  absence, 
and  that  they  must  already  be  suffering  the  most 
cruel  anxiety  on  his  account. 

"  '  He  started,  then,  with  his  companion  on  his  re- 
turn to  his  parents,  taking  with  him  his  wife  and  her 
large  fortune. 

"  '  As  he  anticipated,  his  parents  became  very  melan- 
choly as  his  return  was  delayed.  They  grieved  when 
the  appointed  day  passed  without  their  son's  arrival. 
His  mother,  particularly,  was  constantly  in  tears,  say- 
ing : — "  Alas !  my  son,  why  should  we  have  sent  you 
so  far  away  !  You  were  the  light  of  our  eyes,  the  staff 
of  our  old  age,  and  the  consolation  of  our  lives  ;  all  our 
happiness  was  in  you,  and  now  we  will  die  of  grief  if 
you  do  not  return."  She  went  every  evening  and 
seated  herself  upon  a  high  hill  near  the  road,  and 
watched  for  her  son's  arrival ;  at  last  she  perceived 
and  recognised  him.  She  ran  immediately  to  her 
husband,  crying  out :  "  Here  is  our  son !"  When 
Tobias  and  his  companion  got  near  the  house,  the 
dog  ran  on  before,  as  if  to  announce  their  arrival, 
wagging  his  tail,  and  giving  vent  to  his  joy  by  loud 
barking.    Old  Tobit  had  himself  led  forth  by  the  hand, 


LITTLE-JOHN.  93 


and  as  soon  as  he  found  his  son  he  embraced  him 
tenderly ;  Anna  kissed  him,  too,  and  they  both  shed 
tears  of  joy,  thanking  God,  with  grateful  hearts,  for  re- 
storing to  them  their  son.  Then  young  Tobias,  follow- 
ing his  fellow  traveller's  advice,  took  the  fish-gall  that 
he  had  brought  with  him,  anointed  his  father's  eyes 
with  it,  and  the  old  man's  sight  was  restored. 

"  '  All  the  family  were  filled  with  gratitude  for  the 
good  young  man  who  had  guided  their  son  so  safely  on 
his  journey,  and  who  had  given  him  such  prudent  and 
salutary  advice.  They  all  wished,  by  way  of  thanks,  to 
bestow  upon  him  half  the  wealth  that  Tobias  had 
brought  with  him  ;  but  he  said  to  them  :  "  You  must 
thank  the  Lord  for  all  the  good  fortune  that  has  oc- 
curred to  you.  I  am  not  a  man,  as  you  believe,  but 
an  angel,  sent  by  God  to  put  an  end  to  your  misfor- 
tunes. The  Lord  was  touched  by  your  patience,  your 
submission,  and  your  confidence  in  him  ;  he  has  heark- 
ened to  the  prayers  offered  up  in  the  hour  of  your 
affliction  :  thank  him,  then — love  him  with  all  your 
heart,  and  serve  him  ever  with  all  your  might."  So 
saying,  the  angel  disappeared,  and  left  them  filled  with 
gratitude  and  astonishment. 

"  '  The  good  man,  Tobit,  lived  to  extreme  old  age, 
and  saw  his  grandchildren's  children.  His  family 
were  all  happy,  and  continued  to  live  in  the  fear  of 
the  Lord,  and  in  obedience  to  his  commandments.' " 


94  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
FILIAL    PIETY. 

Margaret  was  overjoyed  that  Little-John  should 
have  learned  to  read  so  very  well  and  in  so  short  a 
time.  She  kissed  him  again,  to  show  him  how  much 
she  was  pleased  with  him,  and  then  said  to  him : — 
"  Little- John,  you  have  chosen  there  a  beautiful  story ; 
why  did  you  prefer  reading  that  one  to  me  ?" 

Little-John  thought  a  moment,  and  answered  :  "  I 
love  young  Tobit,  because  he  was  so  obedient." 

Louisa.  Yes,  and  a  good  God,  who  loves  obedient 
children,  rewarded  him  largely  ;  for,  through  him,  he 
consoled  his  parents,  and  restored  the  sight  of  his  old 
father. 

Little-John.  Oh !  how  happy  he  must  have  been ! 
When  I  grow  up,  I  will  make  my  dear  grandmother 
and  Louisa  happy  too. 

Margaret.  When  you  are  grown,  my  child,  I  shall, 
in  all  probability,  be  no  longer  in  this  world ;  but 
God  will  bless  you  for  your  good  intentions.  You 
remember  the  commandment,  "  Honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be  long  in  the  land  which 
the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee."  You  see  he  promises 
to  recompense  those  wrho  love  and  respect  their 
parents  ;  he  grants  them  a  long  and  happy  life,  and 
the  joy  of  beholding  their  children  in  their  turn  re- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  95 


paying  them  the  kindness  and  attention  that  they 
bestowed  upon  their  own  parents. 

Little-John  was  of  opinion  that  this  commandment 
was  not  difficult  to  obey,  and  that  God  was  very  kind 
to  reward  us  for  loving  our  parents,  a  thing  so  easy 
and  delightful.  "  But,"  added  he,  "  children  that  have 
bad  parents,  are  they  to  love  them  too  ?" 

Margaret.  Yes,  my  boy ;  they  must  love  them, 
respect  them,  and  pray  for  them.  If  they  perceive 
their  defects,  they  must  endeavor,  never  to  think  of 
them,  and,  above  all  things,  they  should  never  mention 
them  to  others  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  do  all  they  can 
to  conceal  them.  When  a  child  sees  his  parents  do- 
ing wrong,  he  should  not  imitate,  but  pity  them,  and 
supplicate  God  to  forgive  them. 

Little-John.  Suppose  wicked  parents  were  to  order 
their  child  to  do  wrong,  what  then  ? 

Margaret.  If  sinful  parents  should  order  their  chil- 
dren to  do  that  which  is  evidently  wrong  and  offensive 
to  God,  they  ought  not  to  obey.  They  should  refuse 
humbly,  but  firmly,  taking  care  not  to  lose  sight  of 
that  respect  which  is  always  due  to  parents  under  all 
circumstances.  Happily,  such  people  are  rare,  and 
most  parents  give  their  children  good  advice,  and  set 
them  good  examples. 


96  LITTLE-JOHN, 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 
IRON. 

Good  old  Margaret  was  so  much  pleased  with  her 
grandchildren's  good  conduct,  that  she  sought  by  ev- 
ery means  in  her  power  to  gratify  them.  There  was 
to  be  a  celebration  of  some  kind  or  other  at  a  neigh- 
boring city,  and  she  promised  to  take  them  there  if  the 
weather  permitted. 

The  appointed  day  arrived,  and  the  weather  was 
magnificent.  Little-John  awoke  full  two  hours  be- 
fore his  usual  time,  and  nothing  but  the  fear  of  dis- 
turbing  his  grandmother  prevented  him  from  rousing 
everybody  up  an  hour  before  daylight.  Six  o'clock 
came  at  last.  Louisa  had  gotten  her  frock  and  new 
apron,  and  John's  blue  jacket  all  ready  the  day  be- 
fore. They  were  so  eager  to  be  off  that  they  would 
have  forgotten  breakfast,  if  Margaret  had  not  remind- 
ed them  of  it. 

The  celebration  was  superb :  the  military,  the  tem- 
perance societies,  and  the  firemen  marched  through 
the  streets  with  flags  and  banners  flying,  to  the  sound 
of  martial  music.  The  children  were  delighted.  The 
procession  over,  they  strolled  about  the  town  :  never 
having  seen  a  large  city  before,  every  thing  that  they 
met  with  excited  their  wonder.  Louisa  would  stop 
before  a  drygoods  store,  and  John  would  pull  her  away 


LITTLE-JOHN.  97 


to  look  at  a  toyshop.  They  were  in  admiration  of  all 
they  saw.  Margaret  bought  a  small  locket  for  Louisa, 
and  Uncle  Tom  purchased  a  small  spade  for  John. 
They  were  both  transported  with  pleasure.  Louisa 
suspended  her  locket  to  her  neck  by  a  narrow  black 
velvet  ribbon.  Little-John  shouldered  his  spade,  and 
they  all  set  off  for  home. 

As  they  walked  along,  Little-John  conversed  with 
his  sister :  he  talked  of  nothing  but  gardening  ;  he 
declared  that  there  was  nothing  in  the  world  more 
useful  or  more  convenient  than  a  spade  ;  "  and  look," 
said  he,  "  how  beautiful  mine  is !  it's  the  very  thing 
for  a  boy.  Uncle  Tom's  is  so  heavy  that  I  can  barely 
drag  it  along,  but  this  is  just  the  thing  ;  and  how  the 
iron  shines  !"  Louisa  admired  with  all  her  heart  her 
brother's  beautiful  little  spade.  "  And  your  locket," 
continued  Little- John,  "  that  is  still  prettier,  for  gold  is 
more  precious  than  iron." 

"  Little- John,"  said  Uncle  Tom,  "  if  you  had  said 
that  gold  was  rarer  than  iron,  you  would  have  been 
right ;  but  certainly  iron  is  the  most  precious." 

Little-John.  But  gold  is  the  most  beautiful. 

Tom.  That  is  very  true,  it  is  more  brilliant ;  but, 
consider  a  moment  how  much  more  useful  iron  is. 
To  what  purposes  is  gold  applied  ?  To  the  manufac- 
ture of  jewelry,  of  ornaments,  of  plate,  and  other  things, 
attainable  only  by  the  rich ;  but  gold  plate  is  not  a 
whit  more  convenient  than  our  common  plates  and 
earthen  crockery.  But  as  for  iron — to  what  use  is  it  not 

9 


98  LITTLE-JOHN. 


applied  ?  It  is  alike  indispensable  to  the  rich  and  the 
poor;  agricultural  implements  of  all  kinds — spades, 
hoes,  shovels,  ploughs — are  made  of  iron  ;  the  carpen- 
ter's, the  turner's,  and  the  wheelwright's  tools  are  all  of 
iron.  It  is  with  iron  that  locks,  bolts,  hinges,  &c,  are 
made.  What  would  become  of  us  were  we  suddenly 
deprived  of  nails,  of  needles,  of  knives? — all  of  these 
things  are  of  iron.  Among  the  savage  nations  that 
have  been  discovered,  the  most  miserable  and  the  most 
degraded  were  those  that  were  deprived  of  the  use  of 
iron.  Their  unwieldy  hatchets  were  made  of  stone ; 
unable  to  carve  their  meat,  they  tore  it  in  pieces ;  for 
needles  they  used  fishbones  ;  for  weapons,  bowrs  and 
swords  made  of  hard  wood.  Be  not  astonished,  then, 
if  those  tribes  which  are  acquainted  with  the  value 
of  iron,  without  possessing  it,  should  willingly  give  gold 
to  obtain  it. 

Little-John.  But  why  do  not  those  people  make 
iron  ? 

Tom.  For  a  good  reason,  John  ;  iron  is  not  to  be 
made.  You  can  conceive  that  there  are  things  that 
cannot  be  made  or  manufactured,  and  which  serve, 
on  the  contrary,  to  manufacture  all  other  things. 
These  things  were  created  by  God  himself,  and  our 
business  is  to  see  how  we  can  best  turn  them  to  ac- 
count. 

Little-John.  You  say  we  cannot  make  iron ;  how 
do  you  procure  it  then  ? 

Tom.  Iron  is  found  in  the  earth,  mixed  with  other 


LITTLE-JOHN.  99 


substances,  from  which  it  must  be  separated  to  turn  it 
to  account :  when  in  this  mixed  state  it  is  called  ore. 
This  ore  is  sometimes  found  in  great  quantities  on 
the  surface,  where  all  that  we  have  to  do  is  to  gather 
it  up.  Often  also  it  is  beneath  the  surface  ;  in  which 
case  we  are  compelled  to  dig  frequently  to  a  consid- 
erable depth  to  obtain  it :  these  excavations  of  the 
earth  are  called  mines.  But  this  impure  iron  would 
still  be  useless,  unless  separated  from  the  foreign  sub- 
stances with  which  it  is  mixed.  To  effect  this  object 
fire  is  the  agent.  A  lame  fire  is  kindled  in  a  furnace 
made  for  the  purpose ;  the  ore  is  thrown  in,  and  the 
melted  iron  runs  from  it  in  liquid  streams,  and  is  re- 
ceived into  moulds  prepared  for  its  reception. 

Conversing  in  this  way,  Uncle  Tom  and  his  young 
friends  arrived  at  Margaret's  cottage.  A  fire  wras 
soon  kindled,  supper  prepared,  and  the  party  seated 
around  the  table,  where  they  continued,  as  they  ate, 
to  discuss  the  events  of  the  day.  At  length,  Uncle 
Tom  got  up  to  take  his  departure  for  the  night,  when 
Little-John  reminded  him  of  a  promise  he  had  made 
him  to  take  him  a  long  walk  into  the  country.  Old 
Tom  remembered  the  promise  perfectly,  and  appoint- 
ed the  following  Sunday  for  its  fulfilment. 


100  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
THE  LAMB. 

The  following  Sunday  after  church,  Uncle  Tom 
called  at  Margaret's.  Little- John  ran  to  meet  him. 
"  This  is  the  day  you  promised  to  take  me  to  walk, 
Uncle  Tom,"  said  he.  "  I  have  been  to  church,  and 
grandma  says  I  have  been  a  good  boy,  so  there  is  noth- 
ing to  prevent  your  keeping  your  word." 

Tom.  It  was  certainly  my  intention,  John ;  for  in 
little  things  as  in  great,  whenever  a  promise  is  given, 
even  to  a  child,  it  must  be  kept  if  possible  :  so  we  will 
set  out,  if  you  choose.  But  let  us  always  look  before 
we  leap ;  consider  before  setting  forth  how  your  prom- 
enade will  end.  Look  at  those  large  clouds  conceal- 
ing the  sun  ;  feel  how  damp  the  air  is  :  we  shall  cer- 
tainly have  rain ;  indeed,  I  believe  there  are  some 
drops  falling  now. 

Little-John.  You  are  right,  Uncle  Tom.  I  would  not 
have  you  get  wTet  on  my  account,  nor  would  I  expose 
myself  to  taking  cold,  and  thus  give  trouble  and  anxiety 
to  my  good  mother.  If  I  could  do  her  any  good,  or 
gratify  her  in  any  way,  I  would  laugh  at  the  hardest 
rain  ;  but,  as  it  is,  I  will  amuse  myself  with  seeing  the 
rain  fall. 

Little- John  placed  himself  at  the  window,  and  watch- 
ed the  falling  rain.     It  came  down  with  tremendous 


LITTLE-JOHN.  101 


violence.  A  small  stream,  running  near  Margaret's, 
was  soon  converted  into  a  rushing  torrent.  Little- John 
was  delighted  at  seeing  so  much  water. 

"  Louisa !  Uncle  Tom  !"  he  exclaimed,  "  come  here, 
come  quick  ;  see  how  the  water  tears  along !  There, 
there  goes  a  bundle  of  straw ;  but,  look  yonder,  what 
is  that  struggling  in  the  water  ?"  Without  thinking 
of  the  rain,  or  his  new  coat,  he  darted  out. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  where  is  he  going  ?"  cried 
Margaret,  in  alarm.     " Little- John !  Little-John!" 

But  Little- John  heard  nothing ;  he  was  running 
with  all  his  might,  and  he  was  already  up  to  his  chin 
in  the  rushing  stream.  He  soon  struggled  out,  carry- 
ing in  his  arms  a  young  lamb,  that  had  been  swept 
away  by  the  current,  and  was  on  the  point  of  drown- 
ing. He  returned,  nearly  as  quickly  as  he  went,  and 
laid  the  dripping  lamb  in  the  middle  of  the  room. 

"  It  is  Mrs.  Clarke's  pet  lamb,"  said  he,  "  and  I  saved 
it  from  being  drowned.    There  it  is,  begging  to  walk." 

Margaret  could  not  help  scolding  a  little.  Louisa 
kissed  him  for  saving  the  life  of  such  a  pretty  lamb, 
and  soon  put  out  dry  clothes  for  him.  As  to  old  Tom, 
he  saw  every  thing  from  the  beginning,  and  without 
taking  his  eyes  off  his  little  friend,  he  allowed  him  to 
run  out  alone,  being  very  much  pleased  to  see  the 
courage  and  adroitness  that  he  displayed  on  the  occa- 
sion. When  the  emotion  caused  in  the  family  by  this 
little  event  had  subsided,  Little- John,  who  was  pleased 

with  himself,  and  delighted  to  think  of  the  pleasure  he 

9* 


102 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


should  give  Mrs.  Clarke  in  restoring  her  lamb,  com- 
menced talking  with  Uncle  Tom.,  and,  as  usual,  plying 
him  with  questions  ;  only,  on  this  occasion,  he  talked 
of  the  rain,  as  it  reminded  him  of  his  achievement, 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

RAIN. 

Little-John.  Tell  me,  Uncle  Tom,  what  is  the  use 
of  rain.  It  seems  to  me  very  annoying  ;  it  prevents 
us  from  walking,  it  soaks  the  ground,  it  covers  the 
roads  with  mud,  and  it  was  near  drowning  that  poor 
lamb.  I  should  prefer  fine  weather  all  the  time,  with- 
out ever  having  any  rain  at  all. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  103 


Tom.  I  will  answer  your  question  directly,  John. 
Tell  me,  first,  why  those  beautiful  pinks  of  Louisa's, 
that  you  had  charge  of,  died  this  summer. 

Little-John.  Because,  for  two  whole  weeks,  I  forgot 
to  water  them. 

Tom.  Suppose,  that  during  the  two  weeks,  we  had 
had  such  a  shower  as  is  falling  now,  do  you  think 
your  pinks  would  have  died  ? 

Little-John.  No,  certainly,  Uncle  Tom  ;  they  woul^i 
not  have  died,  and  Louisa  would  have  had  every  day 
a  beautiful  pink,  for  they  were  full  of  buds. 

Tom.  Well,  my  child,  you  can  understand  how  the 
rain  could  have  repaired  your  negligence,  and  pre- 
vented the  pinks  from  dying.  Now  tell  me,  what 
would  become  of  the  fields  of  wheat  and  corn  from 
which  we  get  out  bread,  if  it  were  never  to  rain  ?  The 
stalks  would  wither,  dry  up,  and  die,  as  did  your  pinks, 
and  we  should  no  longer  have  any  thing  to  eat.  Vege- 
tables, fruits,  trees,  forests,  whence  we  get  our  fire  and 
building  wood,  plants  of  every  description,  would  per- 
ish ;  for  they  absolutely  require  water  to  live,  and  rain 
furnishes  them  with  this  water  so  essential  to  their 
existence. 

Observe  the  wisdom  of  the  means  provided  by  God's 
providence.  Not  only  does  rain  fall  at  the  proper 
time  for  the  nourishment  of  plants,  but  it  falls  upon 
them  drop  by  drop,  so  as  not  to  bruise,  break,  or  wash 
them  away,  as  it  inevitably  would,  were  it  to  fall  in 
heavy  masses.     From  this  too  it  results  that  the  earth 


104  LITTLE-JOHN. 


has  time  to  imbibe  the  water  to  a  great  depth,  and  re- 
main fresh  and  humid  when  it  is  not  raining.  Thus 
it  is  rain  serves  to  make  plants  grow.  But  this  is  not 
all :  it  purifies  and  cools  the  air ;  it  supplies  springs 
and  brooks,  and  consequently  large  rivers ;  in  a  word, 
it  is  by  means  of  rain  that  water  is  distributed  and 
spread  upon  the  earth.  Neither  plants,  animals,  no*1 
man  can  exist  without  water.  Not  only  must  you 
t^ke  water  with  your  food,  but  you  could  not  long  sur- 
vive in  an  atmosphere  entirely  devoid  of  moisture. 

Little-John.  Uncle  Tom,  I  did  not  know  all  that.  I 
see  now  that  rain  is  very  useful,  though  it  is  now  and 
then  rather  disagreeable.  I  love  to  hear  you  explain 
these  things,  and  if  I  were  not  afraid  of  being  trouble- 
some, I  would  ask  you  where  the  rain  comes  from,  and 
how  it  is  made. 

Tom.  It  always  gives  me  pleasure,  my  boy,  to  an- 
swer any  of  your  questions  that  are  reasonable.  You 
know  that  when  clothes  are  washed  they  are  spread 
out  in  the  sun  to  dry ;  you  know,  too,  that  when  the 
kettle  is  left  a  long  time  on  the  fire  the  water  dimin- 
ishes in  it  by  degrees,  until  it  finally  disappears.  What 
becomes  of  the  water  that  was  in  the  wet  clothes  and 
in  the  kettle  ?  You  don't  know.  Well,  I  will  tell  you. 
It  is  reduced  to  vapor ;  that  is  to  say,  it  is  changed 
into  a  kind  of  air  that  we  can  neither  touch  nor  see 
any  more  than  the  ordinary  air  we  breathe.  And 
what  is  wonderful,  is  that  water  turned  into  vapor, 
when  it  gets  cold,  becomes  water  again.     For  if  we 


LITTLE-JOHN.  105 


place  a  cold  plate  over  a  vessel  full  of  hot  water,  the 
vapor  soon  collects  on  the  cold  surface  in  a  multitude 
of  small  drops,  which  uniting  become  larger,  and  then 
fall.  Well,  it  is  precisely  in  this  way  that  rain  is 
formed. 

The  water  in  brooks,  ponds,  rivers,  particularly  that 
in  seas  that  are  so  vast,  is  continually  rising  in  vapor. 
This  vapor  spreads  itself  in  the  air,  and  is  invisible. 
If  a  cold  wind  blows,  it  cools,  and  is  formed  into  infi- 
nitely small  drops,  so  small  that  they  yet  float,  though 
we  can  see  them,  since  they  form  the  clouds.  Then 
these  clouds  continuing  to  cool,  the  small  drops  unite 
and  form  larger  ones,  which,  being  heavier,  fall  by 
their  weight  in  drops  of  rain.  You  must  not  think, 
though,  that  rain  is  only  caused  by  a  cold  wind  ;  on 
the  contrary,  the  warm  winds  bring  us  the  most  rain  ; 
and  this  is  easily  understood.  The  warm  air  coming 
into  a  cooler  region,  the  vapor  it  contains  is  changed 
by  the  cold  into  clouds  and  rain.  When  it  is  high  in 
the  air  that  the  vapor  cools,  it  forms  the  clouds  that 
we  see  floating  above  our  heads ;  should  it  be  near  the 
earth  that  this  occurs,  as  you  may  have  often  observed 
morning  and  evening  in  the  valleys  and  low  grounds, 
the  clouds  thus  formed  remain  a  greater  or  less  time 
near  the  ground,  and  the  weather  is  then  said  to  be 
foggy  or  misty.  Fog  is,  as  you  see,  nothing  more 
than  clouds  formed  on  the  surface  of  the  earth. 

Little-John.  Thank  you,  Uncle  Tom.  I  think  I  un- 
derstand how  rain  is  made,  and  I  see  how  useful  it  is ; 


106  LITTLE-JOHN. 


still,  if  next  week  it  could  fall  on  any  other  day  than 
Sunday,  I  should  not  be  sorry. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
THE   BURNT-HOUSE. 

As  it  happened  on  the  following  Sunday,  the  weath- 
er was  magnificent ;  and  Uncle  Tom,  faithful  to  his 
promise,  took  his  little  friend  a  long  walk  from  the 
village,  to  a  small  farm  called  the  Burnt-house.  Uncle 
Tom  was  welcomed  like  an  old  friend.  Little-John 
was  delighted  to  find  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  band  of 
little  children,  with  whom  he  soon  became  acquainted, 
and  enjoyed  himself  exceedingly.  Towards  evening  all 
the  family  assembled  around  a  table  bountifully  spread 
with  rich  milk,  fresh  bread,  fine  October  peaches,  and 
all  the  wholesome  fare  of  a  thriving  farm.  Little- John 
was  very  happy  to  be  with  this  numerous  and  amiable 
family,  and  he  only  regretted  that  Louisa  and  his  grand- 
mother were  not  there  to  partake  of  his  enjoyment. 

At  the  table  was  another  good  old  grandmother, 
nearly  as  old  as  Margaret,  whose  hair  was  still  whiter, 
her  son  and  son-in-law,  stout  good-natured  farmers, 
their  two  wives,  and  seven  or  eight  children.  These 
people  lived  together  in  the  greatest  harmony,  loving 
one  another  like  brothers,  and  all,  except  the  very 


LITTLE-JOHN.  107 


youngest,  laboring  zealously  for  the  common  good. 
Little-John,  though  very  young,  was  struck  with  the 
evident  happiness  of  these  honest  people,  and  he  un- 
derstood that  their  happiness  was  the  greater,  from 
there  being  the  more  of  them  under  the  same  roof  to 
love  and  assist  each  other ;  and  he  felt  in  his  heart  an 
increase  of  the  warm  affection  that  he  entertained  for 
his  sister  and  his  grandmother. 

After  supper  he  shook  hands  with  all  the  little  boys 
and  girls,  allowed  his  pockets  to  be  filled  with  ches- 
nuts  for  Louisa,  and  with  Uncle  Tom  took  the  road 
homeward.  They  walked  for  some  time  in  silence, — - 
the  old  sailor  no  doubt  thinking  over  some  of  his  old 
cruises,  and  Little-John  repassing  in  his  mind  the 
names  paid  the  joyous  faces  of  the  little  comrades  that 
he  had  just  left,  when  he  stopped  suddenly,  and  said  : 
"  Uncle  Tom,  why  do  they  call  that  farm  the  Burnt- 
house  ?" 

"  My  boy,'"  said  Tom,  "  it  is  an  old  story  that  your 
grandmother  can  relate  to  you  better  than  I,  for  I  was 
not  then  in  the  village.  She  was  not  either  ;  but  she 
was  not  far  off,  and  she  was  the  intimate  friend  of 
that  good  old  lady  who  entertained  us  so  kindly." 

Little-John  related  to  Louisa  the  events  of  the  day ; 
told  her  how  much  he  had  enjoyed  himself,  emptied  his 
pockets  into  his  grandmother's  apron,  and  asked  her, 
even  before  taking  a  seat,  why  the  farm  was  called 
the  Burnt-house. 

"  My  child,"   said  Margaret,   "  it  is  quite  a  simple 


108  LITTLE-JOHN. 


story,  with  nothing  about  it  very  extraordinary  ;  but 
it  may  teach  ycu  to  commiserate  the  misfortunes  of 
others,  and  to  rely  upon  God's  providence.  The  old' 
grandmother  of  all  those  pretty  children  that  you  saw- 
is  named  Anna  ;  her  husband  was  killed  by  a  fall  from 
a  tree. 

"  She  had  been  a  widow  two  years,  and  had  great 
difficulty  in  supporting  herself  and  her  two  children 
by  her  daily  labor.  However,  winter  passed  off,  and 
spring  came,  and  gave  her  some  hope.  But  one  night 
her  house  took  fire.  She  jumped  up  in  alarm,  wrap- 
ped her  children  in  their  bedclothes,  and  escaped  with 
them  to  the  yard.  She  then  shouted  for  help  :  the 
neighbors  came,  and  did  what  they  could ;  but,  water 
being  scarce,  the  fire  devoured  every  thing  that  the 
house  contained.  The  linen,  clothes,  beds,  furniture, 
the  cow  in  an  adjoining  shed,  every  thing  was  con- 
sumed ;  and  when  the  fire  at  last  went  out,  there  was 
nothing  left  but  the  bare  walls. 

"  The  neighbors,  after  endeavoring  in  vain  to  extin- 
guish the  fire,  withdrew  one  after  another  to  their 
homes  ;  and  when  the  last  was  gone,  poor  Anna  re- 
mained alone  with  her  children,  weeping  over  the  ruins 
of  what  was  once  her  home.  Robert  and  Mary  nes- 
tled up  close  to  their  mother,  and  wept  at  seeing  her 
weep.  They  were  cold ;  and  the  night  seemed  very 
long.  At  length  day  broke  ;  Anna  said  :  '  My  chil- 
dren, let  us  pray  to  our  Heavenly  Father :  our  only 
hope  is  in  him.'     They  all  three  knelt,  and  repeated 


LITTLE-JOHN.  109 


together,  '  Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven.'  In  reciting 
the  prayer,  Anna  stopped  several  times,  and  had  great 
difficulty  through  her  sobs  in  saying,  '  Give  us  this  day 
our  daily  bread.' 

"  As  they  were  finishing  their  prayer,  Mary  heard 
near  her  the  cries  of  a  bird  apparently  in  distress. 
She  turned  around,  and  saw  in  a  bush  close  by  a  bird's- 
nest.  The  twig  upon  which  it  rested  had  been  broken 
off;  the  nest  was  upset,  and  the  little  birds  were  lying 
upon  the  ground  almost  dead  with  cold,  and  the  mo- 
ther-bird was  fluttering  anxiously  around  the  bush, 
uttering  cries  of  distress.  Mary  called  her  brother, 
and  both  being  touched  with  compassion  for  the  poor 
birds,  they  secured  the  nest  on  another  limb,  and  care- 
fully replaced  the  young  ones.  Then  they  took  pleas- 
ure in  witnessing  the  joy  of  the  poor  mother,  who  flew 
to  them  immediately,  covered  them  with  her  wings, 
and  warmed  them  under  her  feathers.  Anna  herself 
was  for  a  moment  diverted  from  her  sorrows,  and  her 
tears  ceased  to  flow  in  contemplating  this  good  deed 
of  her  children.  Seeing  them  smile,  she  said  to  her- 
self: 'It  is  then  true  that  the  good  that  we  do  allevi- 
ates our  sufferings  ;'  and  she  took  courage  at  witness- 
ing this  kind-hearted  act  of  her  children,  for  she  thought 
that  as  they  were  so  compassionate,  God  would  not 
abandon  them.  At  this  moment  she  saw  a  lady  com- 
ing across  the  meadow.  The  lady  approached  her, 
saying  :  '  My  good  Anna,  come  to  my  house.  I  heard 
of  your  misfortune  last  night,  and  I  have  come  for  you 

10 


110  LITTLE-JOHN. 


and  your  children.'  At  the  same  time  she  beckoned 
to  her  servant,  who  was  carrying  a  bundle  of  clothes, 
to  approach.  She  clothed  the  children  and  their  mo- 
ther, and  took  them  home  with  her,  where  she  supplied 
them  with  all  that  they  needed.  She  then  led  them 
into  a  good,  comfortable  bedroom,  and  said  :  '  Do  not 
be  uneasy,  I  will  take  care  of  you  until  you  can  pro- 
vide for  yourselves  ;'  and  as  Anna  and  her  children 
were  pouring  forth  their  grateful  thanks,  she  contin- 
ued :  '  My  friends,  it  is  to  God  that  your  thanks  are 
due,  for  it  is  from  him  that  all  our  blessings  flow.  I 
also  offer  him  thanks,  for  I  am  grateful  and  happy  that 
he  should  make  me  his  instrument  in  affording  you 
relief;  we  must  aid  one  another,  you  know,  that  God 
may  aid  us.' 

"  When  the  lady  went  out,  Mary  said  to  her  bro- 
ther :  '  Do  you  remember  the  birds  this  morning  ? 
God  charged  us  to  relieve  them ;  and  thus  it  is  with 
his  creatures — he  makes  use  of  one  to  relieve  another. 
Let  us,  then,  love  God,  let  us  thank  him  for  the  good 
he  does  us,  and  let  us,  for  the  love  of  him,  alleviate 
when  we  can  the  sufferings  of  his  creatures ;  it  is  our 
only  means  of  proving  to  him  our  love,  and  he  will  do 
unto  us  as  we  do  unto  others.' 

"  Anna  thus  generously  assisted,  returned  to  work 
with  renewed  energy.  God  blessed  her  efforts  ;  and 
she  was  finally  enabled  to  rebuild  her  house.  But  she 
determined  that  it  should  ever  after  bear  the  name  of 
the  Burnt-house,  that  her  children  and  her  grandchil- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  Ill 


dren  might  be  reminded  to  pray  for  their  benefactress, 
to  rely  in  the  hour  of  misfortune  on  the  providence 
of  God,  and  to  compassionate  the  misfortunes  of 
others." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CHRISTMAS. 

One  winter  night,  Margaret  and  her  two  children 
were  seated  near  the  fire  ;  it  was  very  cold,  the  wind 
whistled  without,  and  the  fire  burned  clear  and  spark- 
ling on  the  hearth.  While  the  good  old  woman  spun, 
Little-John  was  seated  on  a  stool  at  her  feet  turning- 
over  the  leaves  of  his  Bible,  looking  at  pictures  that  he 
had  already  seen  a  hundred  times.  He  often  interrupted 
his  sister  to  ask  her  what  the  people  were  about  that 
he  saw  in  the  pictures.  Louisa,  ever  gentle,  always 
replied  to  him  kindly.  When  the  little  boy  had  seen 
every  thing,  he  closed  the  book,  and  said  :  "  Louisa, 
listen  to  the  ringing  of  the  bells  :  they  have  been  go- 
ing all  the  evening,  and  people  have  been  firing  guns 
and  crackers.     I  should  like  to  know  what  it  is  for." 

Louisa.  It  is  an  old  custom,  in  commemoration  of 
Christmas-day.  This  is  Christmas-eve,  and  to-morrow 
Christmas-day.  You  have  learned  from  your  cate- 
chism what  happened  on  that  day. 


112  LITTLE- JOHN. 


Little-John.  Yes,  it  is  our  Saviour's  birthday.  You 
have  told  me  all  about  it,  but  I  want  to  hear  it  again. 

Louisa.  Very  well ;  be  attentive  now,  for  another 
time  you  will  have  to  relate  it  to  me.  Joseph  lived 
with  the  Virgin  Mary  in  the  city  of  Nazareth,  where 
he  followed  the  trade  of  a  carpenter.  They  were 
obliged  to  go  to  another  city  called  Bethlehem.  As 
there  were  a  great  many  people  in  this  city,  all  the 
dwellings  and  all  the  taverns  were  full,  so  that  a  stable 
was  the  only  place  that  Joseph  and  Mary  could  find 
to  lodge  in.  It  was  there  that  the  Virgin  gave  birth 
to  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  As  soon  as  he  was  born, 
she  wrapped  him  in  swaddling-clothes,  and  laid  him  in 
a  manger  on  a  little  straw.  Near  the  city  some  shep- 
herds were  watching  their  flocks  by  night.  On  a  sud- 
den they  saw  around  them  a  brilliant  light,  and  they 
were  alarmed,  but  at  the  same  time  they  saw  an  an- 
gel, who  said  to  them  :  "  Fear  nothing  ;  for  I  am  the 
messenger  of  glad  tidings.  There  is  born  to  you  to- 
day in  the  city  of  Bethlehem  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ 
and  the  Lord.  This  is  the  sign  by  which  you  will 
recognise  him  :  you  will  find  a  child  enveloped  in 
swaddling-clothes,  lying  in  a  manger."  As  soon  as 
the  angel  had  spoken,  the  shepherds  saw  a  great  many 
angels  join  him,  and  they  all  praised  God,  saying,  "  Glo- 
ry to  God  in  the  highest,  on  earth  peace,  good-will  to- 
wards men."  After  that  the  angels  disappeared,  and 
the  shepherds  heard  nothing  more.  Then  they  said  to 
one  another :  "  Let  us  go  to  Bethlehem,  and  see  the 


LITTLE- JOHN.  113 


wonder  that  the  Lord  has  made  known  to  us."  They 
went,  and  found  the  infant  Jesus  as  the  angel  had  told 
them. 

Little-John.  Can  I  be  like  our  Saviour  when  he  was 
small  ? 

Louisa.  Certainly  you  may,  in  many  things,  for  our 
Saviour  appeared  as  a  child,  that  he  might  set  us  an 
example  from  childhood  to  manhood.  He  grew  wiser 
and  better  every  day  as  he  grew  older  ;  he  was  submis- 
sive to  his  parents,  to  show  us  that  application  and  obe- 
dience are  the  virtues  of  childhood.  Thus,  John,  if 
you  are  industrious,  obedient,  and  good,  he  will  love 
you. 

Little-John.  Grandma  often  says  that  our  Lord  loves 
little  children  ;  how  does  she  know  it  ? 

Louisa.  Because  during  his  life,  when  his  apostles 
repelled  some  little  children  that  were  pressing  around 
him,  he  said  to  them  :  "  Suffer  little  children  to  come 
unto  me :"  and  then  he  eave  them  his  blessing.  Al- 
though  we  can  no  longer  see  him  now,  he  is  still  the 
same ;  from  heaven  above  he  looks  down  upon  good 
children,  blesses  and  protects  them. 

Little-John.  You,  Louisa,  you  are  not  a  child  now  ; 
what  will  you  say  to  our  Saviour  in  your  prayers  to- 
night ? 

Louisa.  I  will  thank  him  that  he  consented  to  live 
in  this  world  in  poverty,  and  that  he  consented  to  earn 
by  his  labor  his  daily  bread,  that  he  might  comfort  and 
encourage  the  poor.     I  will  tell  him  that  since  he  loves 

10* 


114  LITTLE-JOHN. 


the  poor,  I  do  not  complain  that  poverty  has  been  my 
lot ;  and  I  will  only  ask  him  to  give  me  the  grace  to 
be  always  good,  industrious,  and  obedient  to  my  mo- 
ther. 

Little-John.  Does  our  Saviour  love  the  poor  too? 

Louisa.  Yes,  John  ;  you  have  just  seen  that  his  fa- 
ther and  mother  were  poor,  and  that  when  he  was  born 
he  sent  an  angel  to  the  poor  shepherds  to  announce  his 
coming.  Most  of  his  apostles  and  friends  were  poor 
people,  and  he  himself  was  very  poor,  since  all  the 
cradle  he  had  was  a  manner  and  a  little  straw,  and  he 
was  compelled  to  labor  for  a  livelihood,  and  wras  in- 
debted to  charity  for  a  burial.  But  he  loves  the  poor 
that  are  honest,  industrious,  and  contented  writh  their 
lot.  As  for  the  idle,  and  those  who  murmur  at  their 
lot,  or  are  envious  of  the  rich,  he  loves  them  not. 

Little-Jolin.  Since  God  loves  the  poor  he  does  not 
love  the  rich,  does  he  ? 

Louisa.  Not  those  that  are  avaricious,  harsh,  and 
proud ;  but  those  that  are  good  and  charitable  are  as 
much  beloved  as  the  poor.  For  you  see  it  is  not  be- 
cause we  are  poor  or  rich  that  God  loves  us ;  but  it  is 
only  on  account  of  the  good  that  we  do.  God  loves 
all  men  alike ;  but  it  often  happens  that  the  rich,  pos- 
sessing the  means  of  self-gratification,  are  more  ex- 
posed to  temptation.  And  the  poor  should  be  con- 
tented in  their  poverty,  as  it  often  saves  them  from 
the  temptation  to  sin. 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


115 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
SNOW. 


The  Snowman. 


"  Oh  how  it  snowed  last  night  !"  exclaimed  Little- 
John  one  morning  as  he  awoke  ;  "  every  thing  is  white. 
Look,  Louisa !  every  thing  is  covered — the  houses  and 
the  fields  and  the  trees.  Oh !  what  fun  I  shall  have 
throwing  snowballs  at  the  folks  as  they  go  by  I" 

Louisa.  You  are  going  to  snowball  people,  John! 
It  must  be  some  bad  boy  that  put  that  notion  in  your 


116  LITTLE-JOHN. 


head ;  would  you  be  glad  to  see  mischievous  boys 
throwing  snowballs  at  grandmother  ? 

Little- John.  Grandmother!  no,  indeed!  Well,  then, 
I  will  not  throw  any  at  old  people,  or  little  girls. 

Louisa.  Take  my  advice,  John,  and  do  not  throw 
at  anybody,  unless  it  be  in  fun  with  your  schoolfel- 
lows, and  then  you  should  be  careful  not  to  hurt  and 
make  them  angry. 

Little-John  promised  not  to  throw  snowballs,  kissed 
Louisa,  and  went  out.  He  was  to  go  that  day  to  help 
Uncle  Tom  to  pick  up  wrood  for  a  poor  woman  in  the 
village,  who  was  sick,  and  without  fire  to  cook  or  warm 
herself  by.  As  he  walked  along,  he  kept  looking  behind 
him  to  see  his  footprints  in  the  snow.  At  last  he  got 
to  Uncle  Tom's,  gave  him  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand, 
and  started  with  him  for  the  woods.  As  they  were 
going  out  of  the  house,  Little- John,  seeing  Uncle  Tom's 
face  very  pale,  asked  him  if  he  was  sick. 

Tom.  No,  my  boy,  I  am  not  sick :  if  I  appear  pale, 
it  is  the  natural  effect  of  the  sun ;  you  appear  as  much 
so  as  I  do.  When  you  throw  your  ball  against  a  wall, 
it  is  thrown  back  by  the  wall,  and  returns  to  you  ;  so 
it  is  with  light  when  it  falls  on  a  white  surface, — like 
your  ball,  it  is  thrown  back.  This  effect  is  called  the 
reflection  of  light ;  and  it  is  this  reflection  of  light  on 
the  snow  that  makes  us  appear  pale. 

Little-John.  Uncle  Tom,  all  this  snow  was  not  here 
yesterday ;  where  does  it  come  from  ? 

Tom.  You  know  how  rain  is  made.     You  remem- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  117 


ber  I  told  you  that  water,  reduced  to  vapor,  spreads 
itself  through  the  air,  until  it  meets  a  wind  sufficiently 
cold  to  turn  it  again  to  water ;  but  when  the  cold  is 
still  greater,  the  very  small  drops  of  which  the  clouds 
are  composed  become  frozen,  and,  several  uniting  to- 
gether, fall  in  the  shape  of  snowflakes. 

Little-John.  I  understand.  Is  snow  as  useful  as 
rain  ? 

Tom.  Yes  ;  snow  is  particularly  useful  in  protecting 
delicate  plants  and  such  seeds  as  are  sown  before  win- 
ter. It  covers  them,  and  preserves  them  from  contact 
with  the  air,  and  thus  saves  them  from  freezing  in  in- 
tensely cold  weather.  It  is  true,  that  it  is,  at  times, 
attended  with  inconvenience  ;■  sometimes,  by  covering 
the  surface  of  the  earth  so  deep  as  to  prevent  animals 
from  getting  their  food,  they  are  exposed  to  perish 
with  hunger.  In  some  countries,  travelling  becomes 
difficult  and  dangerous,  from  the  roads  being  covered ; 
but  in  mountainous  countries  more  than  elsewhere. 
Snow  is  sometimes  the  cause  of  dreadful  accidents.  As 
the  air  becomes  colder  the  higher  we  ascend,  you  can 
easily  conceive  that  the  snow  that  falls  upon  very  high 
mountains  never  melts.  It  accumulates  in  immense 
masses,  which  now  and  then  detach  themselves,  and 
roll  down  into  the  valleys  with  a  thundering  noise ; 
crushing,  in  their  fall,  men,  animals,  trees,  and  houses. 
Entire  villages  have  been  buried  under  these  masses  of 
snow  rolling  from  the  mountains  ;  they  are  what  are 
called  avalanches. 


118  LITTLE-JOIIX. 


Little-John.  I  would  not  like  to  live  in  such  a  coun- 
try ;  I  should  always  be  afraid  of  being  crushed  by 
the  snow.  And  then  when  it  falls  from  the  tops  of 
the  mountains,  where  it  is  so  cold,  into  the  valleys  that 
are  so  much  warmer,  it  must  melt  suddenly,  and  inun- 
date the  whole  country. 

Tom.  That  is  very  good  reasoning,  John  ;  I  like  to 
see  you  reflect  upon  what  you  learn.  This  time,  un- 
fortunately, you  are  mistaken,  because  you  do  not 
know  that  ice  and  snow  require  so  much  heat  to  thaw, 
that  even  in  a  warm  climate  they  remain  for  a  con- 
siderable time  before  they  are  completely  melted.  As 
to  your  fear  of  living  in  such  countries  and  being 
crushed  by  the  snow,  everybody  is  not  like  you.  There 
have  been  men  found,  who,  for  the  love  of  God  and 
their  fellow-beings,  have  abandoned  friends  and  coun- 
try, and  gone  to  reside  on  these  frozen  mountains. 
They  are  the  monks  of  Mount  St.  Bernard.  They 
have  built  a  house  on  the  summit  of  a  mountain  of 
that  name  ;  and  there  the  sole  object  of  their  existence 
is  to  succor  travellers  exhausted  by  fatigue  or  lost  in 
the  snow.  They  have  trained  for  this  purpose  large 
dogs,  that  possess  a  strength  and  intelligence  truly  sur- 
prising. These  dogs  traverse  in  bad  weather  the  dif- 
ferent mountain-paths,  carrying,  attached  to  their  necks, 
a  small  basket,  containing  brandy  and  food.  As  soon 
as  one  of  them  meets  a  traveller,  he  presents  him  the 
basket,  and  then  walks  before,  and  leads  him  to  the 
hospital.     But  if  it  happens  that  a  man  falls  over  one 


LITTLE-JOHN.  119 


of  those  precipices  concealed  by  the  snow,  of  which 
there  are  so  many  in  the  mountains,  the  dog  scents 
him,  runs  immediately  to  the  house,  and,  by  his  loud 
barking,  warns  the  monks  ;  they,  always  on  the  alert, 
issue  forth,  provided  with  ladders  and  ropes,  and,  fol- 
lowing the  dog,  descend  the  precipice,  at  the  risk  oi 
perishing  themselves.  When  they  succeed  in  draw- 
ing the  unfortunate  traveller  from  the  snow,  bruised, 
and  half  dead  with  cold,  they  take  him  to  their  house, 
and  there  nurse  and  watch  over  him  with  the  tender- 
ness of  brothers,  until  he  is  entirely  restored  ;  and  this 
without  inquiring  whether  he  be  rich  or  poor,  and 
without  the  slightest  charge  for  all  their  kindness  ;  on 
the  contrary,  if  the  rescued  man  be  poor,  they  give 
him  alms  and  provide  him  with  provisions  to  continue 
his  route. 

Little- John.  Oh !  Uncle  Tom,  how  good  the  monks 
of  St.  Bernard  are  to  do  so  ! 

Tom.  You  are  right,  John ;  they  offer  a  striking 
example  of  the  courage,  the  charity,  and  the  devotion 
that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  can  inspire  in  men  for 
their  fellow- beings.  We,  too,  are  Christians,  my  dear 
child  ;  and  if  we  cannot  do  as  much  as  they  for  our 
fellow-beings,  yet  we  should  never  let  an  opportunity 
escape  of  doing  what  we  can  for  their  welfare. 


120  LITTLE-JOHNT. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
THE  FAGOT  OF  WOOD. 

Talking  thus  as  they  went,  Uncle  Tom  and  his 
little  comrade  arrived  at  the  wood,  and  commenced 
gathering  the  dead  limbs  blown  off  by  the  wind.  Little- 
John,  at  first,  went  very  briskly  to  work,  but  he  was 
soon  tired.  He  thought  it  tiresome  and  fatiguing  to 
be  trudging  about  and  dipping  his  hands  in  the  cold 
snow  to  get  a  few  withered  sticks  ;  it  appeared  to  him 
much  more  convenient  to  cut  from  the  standing  trees 
whatever  he  wanted.  But  Uncle  Tom  said  to  him  : 
"  We  must  not  touch  the  trees,  we  have  not  permis- 
sion." 

Little- John.  What  harm  will  there  be  ?  we  will  take 
so  little. 

Tom.  If  every  one  in  the  village  were  to  reason  as 
you  do,  the  little  that  each  one  would  take  would 
amount  to  a  great  deal  ;  and,  besides,  let  it  be  ever  so 
little,  it  would  still  be  theft,  as  these  woods  do  not  be- 
long to  us. 

Little-John.  But  the  owner  of  these  woods  is  so 
rich !  He  never  comes  here ;  and  it  is  such  a  small 
matter,  these  dead  limbs  that  we  are  allowed  to  pick  up. 

Tom.  You  imagine,  then,  that  because  a  man  is 
rich  we  are  allowed  to  take  what  belongs  to  him  ? 
Doubtless  it  would  be  a  still  greater  crime  to  rob  the 


LITTLE-JOHN.  121 


poor,  who  have  scarcely  any  thing ;  but  it  is  still 
cowardly  and  wrong  to  steal  from  the  rich.  Instead 
of  finding  fault  with  the  owner  of  these  woods  because 
he  abandons  to  the  poor  the  dead  wood,  ought  we  not 
to  be  grateful  to  him  for  allowing  us  to  take  that  which 
he  has  a  perfect  right  to  keep  for  himself? 

Little-John.  Bat  everybod}^  takes  the  growing  wood. 
Only  the  day  before  yesterday  I  sawT  old  Mrs.  Dubois' 
grandson  taking  home  a  turn  of  green  wood. 

Tom.  If  what  you  say  is  true,  it  is  very  deplorable  ; 
but  do  you  be  careful  not  to  imitate  such  a  bad  exam- 
ple. Because  among  your  playfellows  there  are  many 
that  are  idle  and  mischievous,  is  that  any  reason  that 
you  should  be  so  ? 

Little-John.  Certainly  not. 

Tom.  Well,  then,  because  there  are  people  in  the 
village  who  do  that  which  they  ought  not  to  do,  and 
who  are  guilty  of  what  is  really  a  theft,  must  we,  on 
that  account,  become  as  criminal  as  they?  On  the 
contrary,  our  duty  is  to  teach  them  better  by  setting 
them  an  example  of  probity,  and  of  that  respect  which 
all  honest  people  must  have  for  the  property  of  others. 
Listen ;  I  will  tell  you  an  anecdote  from  sacred  histo- 
ry that  Louisa,  perhaps,  has  not  yet  related  to  you, 
and  it  will  show  you  how  God  sometimes  punishes, 
in  this  world,  those  who  unjustly  seize  upon  the  prop=- 
erty  of  others. 

11 


122  LITTLE- JOHN. 


STORY  OF  NABOTII. 

"  Ahab  reigned  in  Israel,  with  his  wife,  the  cruel  Je- 
zebel. Ahab  was  wealthy  and  powerful.  He  had  a 
beautiful  palace,  and  his  gardens  were  splendid.  But 
he  desired  to  make  them  larger,  and  for  that  purpose, 
he  wished  to  get  possession  of  an  adjoining  vineyard 
belonging  to  a  poor  man.  He  sent  for  the  man,  and 
said  to  him  :  '  Sell  me  your  vineyard  ;  I  will  pay  you 
well  for  it :  or,  if  you  like  it  better,  I  will  give  you  an- 
other in  exchange.'  Naboth  replied  to  him  :  '  I  do 
not  wish  to  sell  my  vineyard,  because  it  belonged  to 
my  father,  and  I  wish  my  children  to  hold  it  after  my 
death.'  Ahab  did  what  he  could  to  persuade  Naboth, 
but  the  latter  steadily  refused  to  part  with  his  beloved 
vineyard.  Then  Ahab  returned  to  his  palace.  His 
wife,  Jezebel,  observing  that  he  was  vexed,  asked 
him  what  was  the  matter.  He  told  her  that  Naboth 
had  refused  to  let  him  have  the  vineyard,  and  that  he 
was  very  sorry  for  it,  because  he  had  set  his  heart  on. 
getting  it.  Jezebel  laughed  at  him,  saving  :  '  Truly, 
your  power  is  great  indeed,  that  you  cannot  get  that 
vineyard !  Do  you  be  easy  ;  I  will  undertake  to  get 
it  for  you.'  This  wicked  queen  wrote  to  the  magis- 
trates of  the  city  of  Jezreel,  where  Naboth  lived,  and 
ordered  them  to  bribe  false  witnesses  to  swear  that 
they  had  heard  Naboth  blaspheme  God  and  the  king, 
and  to  put  him  to  death.  Though  this  was  a  false- 
hood, Jezebel  was  obeyed,  so  much  were  they  in  fear 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


123 


of  her  cruelty  and  power.  Naboth  was  stoned  to 
death.  As  soon  as  she  heard  it,  she  went  and  said 
to  Ahab  :  '  You  may  take  Naboth's  vineyard,  for  he 
is  dead.'  Ahab  went  immediately  to  look  at  the  vine- 
yard ;  but  while  he  was  there,  the  prophet  Elijah  came, 
and  said  to  him  :  '  You  have  killed  Naboth  and  seized 


upon  his  property.  Now  listen  to  what  the  Lord  says  : 
"  I  will  visit  you  with  the  deepest  affliction,  and  I  will 
exterminate  your  whole  family.  Dogs  shall  devour  the 
body  of  Jezebel  on  the  very  spot  where  they  licked 
the  blood  of  Naboth."  '  Soon  after,  God  executed  these 
terrible  threats.     Ahab  died  in  battle,  and  all  his  fami- 


124  LITTLE-JOHN. 


ly  were  destroyed.  Jezebel  was  thrown,  by  her  ene- 
mies, from  a  window  of  her  palace,  and  her  body 
abandoned  to  the  dogs  and  devoured/' 

After  this  story,  Little-John  continued  to  converse 
writh  Uncle  Tom,  and  was  so  occupied  with  asking  him 
questions,  and  listening  to  his  answers,  that  he  no  longer 
thought  of  the  fatigue  of  stooping,  or  of  cold  hands. 
At  last  their  pile  of  wood  grew  so  large,  that  they 
thought  of  returning  home.  As  Little- John  wanted  to 
carry  his  share,  Uncle  Tom  tied  up  a  small  bundle  for 
him,  which  he  shouldered.  The  old  man  took  the  re- 
mainder, which  made  quite  a  heavy  load,  and  they 
soon  arrived  at  the  poor  woman's  house.  Little- John 
went  to  work  immediately  to  kindle  the  fire,  and  while 
he  was  about  it,  he  overheard  the  sick  woman  talking 
about  him  to  Uncle  Tom.  She  was  saying  :  "  He  is 
a  good  child — God  will  reward  him."  And  then,  again, 
"  Margaret  must  be  very  happy."  When  the  fire  was 
made,  Little- John  said  to  his  old  friend  :  "  I  must  go 
now,  for  grandmother  told  me  to  return  early,  and  she 
is  so  kind,  that  I  should  be  sorry  to  disobey  her.  Good- 
by,  Uncle  Tom." 

Little-John  returned  home.  During  the  night,  he 
dreamed  that  he  heard  the  poor  sick  woman's  voice 
saying  :  "  God  will  bless  him  ! — Margaret  must  be  very 
happy  !"  And  when  he  awoke  in  the  morning,  he  was 
as  happy  as  he  could  be. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  125 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
THE  HALF-DOLLAR. 

Some  days  afterwards,  as  Little- John  was  crossing 
the  road,  on  his  way  from  school,  he  saw  a  gentleman 
mounted  on  a  beautiful  horse,  followed  by  a  man  on 
horseback  also,  who  appeared  to  be  his  servant.  The 
little  boy  stopped  to  admire  the  beautiful  animal  as  he 
pranced  proudly  along.  Suddenly  he  saw  him  rear, 
and  start  violently  to  one  side  ;  the  gentleman  lost  his 
stirrups,  and  was  thrown  with  violence  upon  a  heap  oi 
stones.  His  servant  ran  to  him  immediately;  and  John 
ran,  too,  as  fast  as  he  could,  to  see  if  he  was  hurt. 
He  was  so  stunned  by  the  fall  as  to  be  senseless.  Lit- 
tle-John thought  immediately  of  going  for  water  to  a 
neighboring  spring.  He  ran,  without  waiting  to  be 
told,  filled  his  cap  with  water,  and  returned  just  as  the 
traveller  opened  his  eyes.  He  took  some  of  the  water, 
washed  his  face,  and  gradually  came  to  himself.  He 
was  not  seriously  injured — only  a  bruise  on  the  fore- 
head. He  tied  up  his  head  in  his  handkerchief,  and 
prepared  to  continue  his  route  ;  but  before  mounting, 
he  gave  Little- John  many  thanks  for  his  kindness,  and 
asked  him  some  questions  about  his  parents,  and  gave 
him  a  beautiful  new  half-dollar. 

John  ran  immediately  to  show  this  treasure  to  his 
11* 


126  LITTLE-JOIIN, 


grandmother  and  his  sister.  When  he  had  told  them 
of  his  adventure,  Margaret  said  to  him — 

"  Little-John,  the  gentleman's  generosity  was  very 
well ;  yet  what  you  did  did  not  deserve  any  reward. 
It  is  so  natural  to  assist  our  fellow-creatures,  and  to 
relieve  those  that  are  in  want  of  our  help,  that  there 
are  none  but  the  wicked  and  the  hard-hearted  who 
refuse  to  do  it.  Be  careful,  my  child,  never  to  render 
a  service  of  the  kind  in  the  hope  of  being  paid  for  it. 
The  deed  would  be  unacceptable  to  God,  and  despica- 
ble in  the  eyes  of  men.  However,  I  do  not  reproach 
you ;  you  have  accepted  what  was  given  you,  and 
that  was  nothing  more  than  right.  Now  you  may 
keep  this  money,  and  do  what  you  choose  with  it ;  it 
is  yours." 

So  Little- John  kept  the  half-dollar :  now  and  then 
he  would  take  it  out  of  his  pocket  to  look  at  it,  and 
then  he  would  think  how  he  should  spend  it. 

Two  or  three  days  after  Margaret  remarked  that 
he  had  ceased  talking  about  it.  She  said  to  him  : 
"  John,  where  is  your  money  ?" 

Little-John  blushed,  and  replied  in  a  confused  way 
that  he  had  lost  it.  Poor  Margaret's  eyes  were  old,  and 
she  could  not  see  very  well,  but  accustomed  as  she 
was  to  read  her  grandson's  heart,  she  perceived  at 
once  that  he  was  not  telling  the  truth.  She  was 
grieved,  but  asked  no  more  questions,  for  fear  of  ma- 
king him  tell  more  falsehoods  ;  but  she  was  sad  for  the 
remainder  of  the  day.     That  night  after  supper  she 


LITTLE-JOHN.  127 


made  Louisa  bring  her  the  Family  Bible.     She  opened 
it,  and  gave  her  the  following  story  to  read : 

STORY  OF  ANANIAS  AND  SAPPHIRA. 

"  After  the  death  of  our  Saviour  the  apostles  com- 
menced preaching.  A  great  many  Jews  became  Chris- 
tians :  they  were  baptized,  and  after  receiving  bap- 
tism, they  did  nothing  but  serve  God  with  all  their 
hearts.  Many  among  them  sold  their  houses  and 
their  lands,  and  brought  the  money  to  the  apostles. 
All  this  money  was  put  into  a  common  purse  for  the 
support  of  all  the  Christians,  rich  and  poor,  who  lived 
together  as  one  family.  There  was  among  them  a 
man  named  Ananias  and  his  wife  Sapphira,  who  sold 
their  land.  "When  they  received  the  money  for  it, 
they  resolved  to  retain  a  portion  for  themselves,  and 
to  give  the  remainder  to  the  apostles ;  but  in  order  to 
appear  not  less  generous  than  the  others,  they  agreed 
to  say  that  it  was  all.  Ananias  went  to  Peter  with 
the  money.  Then  St.  Peter  said  to  him :  '  Ananias, 
how  has  the  devil  tempted  you,  that  you  should  tell  a 
lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  withhold  a  part  of  the 
money  ?  Could  you  not  have  kept  your  field,  if  you 
wished  it  ?  and  after  having  sold  it,  had  you  not  a  per- 
fect right  to  do  what  you  chose  with  the  money? 
How  is  it  possible  that  you  should  have  conceived 
such  a  design,  for  you  have  not  lied  to  man  but  to  God  ?.' 
At  these  words  Ananias  fell  dead  upon  the  spot,  and 
some  young  men  took  out  his  body  and  buried  it. 


128  LITTLE-JOHN. 


"About  three  hours  after  Sapphira  came  in,  not 
knowing  what  had  happened.  Peter  said  to  her,  'Wo- 
man, have  you  sold  your  land  for  such  a  price  ?'  na- 
ming the  sum  that  Ananias  said  he  had  received  for 
it.  '  Yes,'  said  she,  'that  is  all  we  got  for  it.'  Then 
Peter  said  to  her :  '  How  is  this  ?  have  you  agreed  with 
your  husband  to  lie  about  it  ?  The  people  who  buried 
your  husband  are  still  at  the  door  ;  they  will  bury  you 
likewise.'  Immediately  she  _fell  at  his  feet  and  ex- 
pired. The  young  men  coming  in  found  her  dead,  and 
carried  her  out  and  buried  her  near  her  husband." 

"  What  a  frightful  story,  grandma !"  said  Louisa, 
as  she  closed  the  book  ;  "  it  must  then  be  a  great  sin 
to  lie  ?" 

Margaret.  You  see  that  it  is,  my  child,  since  God 
punishes  it  so  terribly.  All  vices  are  hateful,  but  none 
more  vile  or  more  despicable  than  this :  a  lie  is  an  act 
of  cowardice. 

Little- John  was  brave ;  and  the  old  sailor  had  taught 
him  that  there  was  nothing  more  shameful  than  cow- 
ardice :  he  exclaimed — "  How  can  it  be  cowardly, 
grandma  ?     I  do  not  understand." 

Margaret.  I  will  explain  it  to  you,  my  son.  Cow- 
ards are  those  who  are  prevented  by  fear  from  doing 
their  duty ;  it  is  the  duty  of  all  men  to  tell  the  truth  ; 
liars  conceal  it  through  fear  of  some  evil  which  pre- 
vents their  avowing  it.  You  see,  then,  that  a  liar  is  a 
coward,  and  he  is  despised  by  his  fellow-men,  and  con- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  129 


demned  by  his  God.  The;  mouth  that  utters  a  lie  is 
an  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God,  says  the  sage,  and 
he  who  lies  will  not  escape  the  justice  of  the  Lord. 

Little-John.  Oh  !  grandmother,  when  one  has  had 
the  misfortune  to  tell  a  falsehood,  what  must  be  done 
to  obtain  God's  forgiveness  ? 

Margaret.  My  child,  the  fault  must  be  acknowl- 
edged, and  a  firm  resolution  taken  never  to  open  the 
mouth  except  to  tell  the  truth. 

"  Well  then,  dear  grandma,"  said  Little- John,  taking 
the  old  woman's  hand,  "  forgive  me ;  I  told  you  a  lie." 

Margaret.  And  why,  my  child,  did  you  deceive  me  ? 
Have  you  then  no  confidence  in  me  ?  Am  I  not  your 
best  friend  ?  If  you  did  wrong,  you  should  have  avow- 
ed it  to  me,  and  I  would  have  aided  you  to  make 
amends  for  it ;  on  the  contrary,  by  lying,  you  added 
a  sin  to  the  wrong  already  committed. 

Little- John.  But,  grandma,  I  did  nothing  wrong. 
Here  is  how  it  happened.  The  other  day,  as  I  was 
going  to  school,  I  met  William  and  his  little  brother 
James.  You  know  how  ragged  their  clothes  are. 
They  were  both  of  them  sitting  on  the  fence,  and  they 
looked  very  sorrowful,  for  they  were  very  cold.  I 
said  to  them :  "  What  is  the  matter,  boys  ?  why  don't 
you  come  to  school  now  ?"  William  said  :  "  We  have 
not  had  any  breakfast ;  there  is  no  bread  at  our  house." 
Then  I  said  :  "  Here,  William,  take  my  dinner,  I  can 
go  without ;  I  ate  a  hearty  breakfast  this  morning." 
They  took  all  I  had  in  my  basket,  and  you  never  saw 


130  LITTLE-JOHN. 


boys  eat  so.  As  I  was  going  away,  I  looked  at  little 
James's  feet ;  they  were  blue  with  cold,  and  full  of 
chilblains.  It  made  me  sorry  to  look  at  them.  I  had 
my  half  dollar  in  my  pocket,  and  as  you  had  told  me 
that  I  might  do  what  1  chose  with  it,  I  had  made  up 
my  mind  to  buy  chesnuts,  and  raisins,  and  almonds 
with  it,  so  as  to  give  all  the  boys  in  school  some.  But 
when  I  saw  little  James's  feet,  I  said  to  myself:  "  Nuts, 
and  raisins,  and  almonds  will  do  the  boys  very  little 
good  ;  but  if  James  had  a  pair  of  shoes  his  feet  would 
get  well."  Then  I  did  not  buy  any  nuts,  and  in  com- 
ing from  school  I  stopped  at  William's  house,  and  call- 
ed him  out,  and  gave  him  my  half-dollar,  and  told  him 
to  tell  his  mother  to  buy  a  pair  of  shoes  with  it  for  lit- 
tle James  ;  and  I  did  not  want  to  tell  you  about  it, 
because  I  heard  you  tell  Louisa  one  day,  that  when 
we  did  a  good  action  we  ought  never  to  talk  about  it. 

Margaret.  God  will  bless  you  as  I  do,  my  child ; 
you  have  been  kind  and  generous.  You  repay  me  to- 
day for  all  the  trouble  and  anxiety  that  I  have  had  on 
your  account.  I  can  die  now ;  the  poor  that  may 
pass  through  this  village  will  always  find  a  piece  of 
bread  at  old  Margaret's  door.  My  God,  I  thank  you 
that  you  have  given  me  a  child  with  a  charitable  heart. 
He  will  not  be  useless  upon  the  earth,  and  however 
poor  he  may  be,  he  will  always  know  how  to  be  useful 
to  others. 

And  the  good  old  woman  shed  tears  of  joy  as  she 
pressed  Little-John  to  her  heart. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  131 


At  last  she  said  :  "  I  must  reprove  you,  my  dear 
child,  nevertheless.  It  is  very  true  that  we  should  not 
be  forward  to  speak  of  the  good  we  do.  Our  Saviour 
said,  that  when  we  give  alms,  our  left  hand  must  not 
know  what  our  right  hand  does  ;  but  nevertheless,  we 
must  not  lie  to  conceal  a  good  action.  Remember, 
my  child,  that  nothing  in  the  world  should  induce  you 
to  speak  against  the  truth,  not  even  to  save  your  life. 
Certainly,  you  are  not  obliged  to  reply  to  all  the  ques- 
tions that  indiscreet  or  designing  persons  may  ask  you  ; 
you  should  give  them  to  understand  that  you  will  not 
tell  them  your  secret,  for  we  should  always  talk  with 
prudence  and  discretion :  but  if  you  do  talk,  never  de- 
ceive any  one,  not  even  those  that  may  be  ill  disposed 
to  you.  It  is  too  late  to-night,  but  to-morrow  Louisa 
will  tell  you  the  story  of  a  man  who  preferred  death  to 
telling  a  lie." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

STORY    OF    ELEAZER 

The  following  day,  when  evening  came,  Little- John 
took  a  seat  near  Louisa,  and  placed  himself  with  his 
arms  crossed,  in  the  attitude  of  a  person  listening. 
Louisa  understood  at  once  what  he  wanted,  and  with 
out  making  him  wait,  commenced  the  following  story: 


132  LITTLE-JOHN. 


"  A  little  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  before 
the  birth  of  our  Saviour,  a  prince  named  Antiochus 
made  himself  master  of  the  country  of  the  Jews.  This 
was  one  of  the  most  cruel  men  ever  seen.  He  was  not 
content,  like  other  pagans,  with  worshipping  false  gods 
himself,  but  did  all  he  could  to  compel  his  subjects  to 
do  so  too  ;  and  he  hated  the  Jews  bitterly  on  account 
of  their  religion.  He  accordingly  forbade  them  all  to 
observe  the  laws  of  Moses,  and  to  pray  to  God,  as  was 
the  custom  of  their  fathers,  and  he  punished  with  death 
those  that  disobeyed.  Notwithstanding,  a  great  many 
Jews  preferred  risking  their  lives  to  acting  against 
their  conscience,  and  they  continued  to  adore  the  true 
God,  and  to  follow  his  precepts. 

"  Among  them  was  a  venerable  old  man,  aged  nine- 
ty years,  named  Eleazer.  They  tried  to  force  him  to 
eat  meat  that  had  been  offered  up  to  the  false  gods, 
and  which  was  forbidden  by  the  law  of  Moses.  But 
he  said :  '  From  my  youth  I  have  served  God  faith- 
fully, and  it  is  not  at  my  age  that  I  will  commence  to 
disobey  him.'  Then  they  condemned  him  to  death. 
His  friends,  penetrated  with  grief,  and  full  of  pity  for 
his  great  age,  came  and  said  to  him:  'Do  you  only 
pretend  to  eat  their  meat :  we  will  bring  some  other, 
that  we  will  put  in  the  place  of  that  which  is  forbid- 
den :  these  bad  people  will  think  that  you  have  done 
what  they  want,  and  so  you  will  save  your  life.'  But 
he  answered  them  :  '  No,  I  will  not  be  guilty  of  such 
deceit.     I  will  not  dishonor  my  gray  hairs  by  an  act 


LITTLE- JOHN.  133 


of  cowardice.  I  will  not  set  such  a  bad  example  to  the 
young  men,  who  will  think  too  that  I  disobeyed  God, 
and  may  be  induced  on  that  account  to  do  so  likewise.' 
And  so  this  holy  and  venerable  man  was  led  to  execu- 
tion, and  in  dying  he  exclaimed  :  '  My  God,  you  be- 
hold the  tortures  that  I  endure ;  but  I  am  content  to 
suffer  for  your  glory.' 

"  You  see,  John,"  added  Louisa,  "  what  a  horror 
this  holy  man  had  for  deceit ;  and  see,  too,  how  much 
he  feared  to  set  a  bad  example :  it  is  because  he  knew 
that  we  ourselves  are  guilty  of  the  sins  that  others 
commit,  induced  by  our  example." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 
CLOTHES. 

Louisa  was  almost  grown.  She  was  gentle,  good, 
and  obedient,  the  joy  and  pride  of  her  grandmother. 
Margaret  often  said  to  her — 

"  My  daughter,  you  will  not  be  rich ;  at  my  death, 
I  will  have  nothing  to  leave  you  but  my  advice  and 
my  blessing.  The  only  fortune  of  a  poor  girl  is  her 
character  and  her  industry.  Be  then  industrious,  my 
dear  child ;  thus  you  will  keep  from  want,  and  remain 
virtuous  and  happy.  Take  care,  too,  my  dear,  not  to 
acquire  a  fondness  for  dress  and  vain  ornaments;  a 

12 


134  LITTLE-JOHN. 


girl  is  little  thought  of  who  is  seen  occupied  with  such 
trifles,  and  many  there  are  who  by  this  single  propen- 
sity have  been  led  to  shame  and  all  kinds  of  misfor- 
tune. If  you  are  discreet  and  good,  you  will  be  suf- 
ficiently adorned  by  your  virtues.  Let  every  thing  in 
and  around  you  indicate  order,  cleanliness,  decency; 
let  your  behavior  be  modest  and  reserved :  these  are 
the  true  ornaments  of  a  Christian  girl." 

Louisa  always  listened  to  her  grandmother  atten- 
tively, and  she  profited  much  by  her  lessons.  Her 
clothes  were  plain,  but  clean  and  neat;  her  hair  al- 
ways well  kept ;  her  dress  of  brown  linen,  well  made 
and  well  put  on ;  her  collar  white  and  well  plaited. 
There  reigned  over  her  whole  person  an  air  of  neat- 
ness, at  the  same  time  of  grace  and  gentleness,  that 
won  all  who  approached  her.  Every  year,  about 
Christmas,  Margaret  bought  new  clothes  for  her  two 
children.  When  Little-John  got  on  his  new  pants, 
his  new  blue  jacket  with  its  bright  buttons,  his  shoes, 
and  his  new  hat,  he  was  all  happiness.  But  he  was 
not  one  of  those  idle  and  heedless  children  who  pay 
no  attention  to  any  thins  :  Uncle  Tom  had  taught  him 
to  think  and  reflect  upon  all  that  he  saw.  He  asked 
Louisa  what  cloth  was  made  of.     She  said  to  him : — 

"  You  remember,  John,  that  at  the  beginning  of 
summer,  last  year,  they  sheared  all  the  sheep  ?" 

Little-John.  Oh  yes  ! .  They  were  tied  by  the  feet, 
and  they  cut  off  their  wool  with  large  scissors.  I 
remember  how  chilly  the  poor  things  looked  after- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  135 


wards,  and  they  did  not  seem  to  know  what  to  do 
with  themselves. 

Louisa.  Well,  what  do  you  think  they  wanted  to 
do  with  all  the  wool  that  was  cut  off  the  sheep  ? 

Little-John.  I  asked,  and  they  told  me  that  they 
would  wash  it  well  and  then  make  mattresses  of  it. 

Louisa.  True  ;  but  wrool  does  not  serve  only  to 
make  mattresses ;  it  is  spun  like  flax  and  made  into 
bed  quilts,  carpets,  and  ail  sorts  of  fine  and  beautiful 
things.  It  is  also  manufactured  into  cloth  like  that 
your  jacket  is  made  of 

Little- John.  But  how  do  they  make  it  blue  ? 

Louisa.  That  is  the  dyer's  work:  he  prepares  the 
colors  so  as  to  make  them  lively  and  lasting,  and  in 
them  he  soaks  either  the  spun  wool  or  the  stuff  they 
wish  dyed.  As  to  the  colors,  they  are  made  of  different 
things :  blue,  for  instance,  is  obtained  from  a  plant 
grown  in  warm  climates,  called  indigo ;  red  is  made 
from  a  small  insect  found  upon  a  plant  growing  in 
Mexico  and  other  parts  of  South  America,  or  it  is 
made  from  the  root  of  a  plant  that  grows  very  well 
with  us,  called  madder ;  and  a  variety  of  colors  are 
extracted  from  different  kinds  of  bark,  seeds,  wood, 
and  metals  ;  and  probably  just  to  dye  the  flowers  on 
your  handkerchief,  it  was  necessary  to  use  a  great 
many  things  that  we  do  not  even  know  the  names  of. 

Little-John.  And  my  muslin  handkerchief — is  that 
made  of  wool  ? 

Louisa.  No,  your  cravat  is  made  of  cotton.    Cotton 


136  LITTLE-JOHN. 


is  a  species  of  down,  that  covers  the  seeds  of  a  plant 
that  grows  in  great  abundance  in  our  southern  states. 
When  the  fruit  is  ripe  it  bursts  open,  and  the  soft  white 
down  hangs  out  like  snowflakes.  This  is  gathered 
and  taken  to  a  machine  called  a  gin,  which  sepa- 
rates it  from  the  seed :  then  it  is  manufactured  into 
different  kinds  of  goods,  such  as  muslin,  calico,  and 
so  on. 

Little-John.  Oh,  I  know  howT  that  is  done :  I  have 
seen  them  in  the  mills. 

Louisa.  From  the  manufactured  cotton,  shirts, 
sheets,  towels,  and  handkerchiefs  are  made. 

Little-John.  Now  for  my  hat,  Louisa — where  does 
that  come  from  ?  and  my  shoes,  how  are  they  made  ? 

Louisa.  I  don't  know  much  about  it ;  for  though  I 
am  older  than  you  are,  John,  I  have  yet  much  to 
learn.  It  seems  to  be  the  same  with  everybody,  even 
those  that  know  the  most ;  the  more  we  learn,  the 
more  evident  our  ignorance  becomes  to  us,  and  we 
are  constantly  discovering  new  things  that  we  are 
ignorant  of,  and  that  we  would  wish  to  know.  Thus 
we  have  always  some  acquisition  to  make.  You, 
particularly,  as  one  of  these  days  you  will  be  a  man, 
must  learn  as  you  grow ;  you  must  notice  every  thing 
around  you,  read  good  books  in  your  leisure  moments, 
and  question  those  that  know  more  than  you  do. 

"  Well  spoken,  Louisa !"  said  Uncle  Tom,  who  had 
approached  the  children  without  their  perceiving  it, 
they  were  so  much  engaged  in  their  conversation. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  137 


"  You  are  very  right,  my  child.  Even  I,  old  as  I  am, 
learn  something  every  day.  A  reasonable  man  ought 
to  acquire  some  knowledge  every  day  of  his  life ;  and 
what  is  there  more  delightful  or  more  useful,  when  the 
labor  of  the  day  is  done,  than  to  employ  the  rest  of 
the  time  in  self-instruction  ?  We  qualify  ourselves,  in 
this  way,  to  be  useful  to  others  and  to  ourselves ;  and 
we  experience  the  greatest  delight  in  understanding 
the  wonders  of  nature  and  the  ingenious  inventions 
of  man,  and  in  studying  and  imitating  the  works  of 
God.  Believe  me,  then,  John,  and  follow  Louisa's 
advice.     Now  tell  me  what  you  were  talking  about." 

Little-John.  I  was  asking  Louisa  how  leather  is 
made,  and  what  my  new  hat  with  long  fur  is  made  of. 

Tom.  Leather  is  made  of  the  skin  of  a  horse,  ox, 
calf,  sheep,  or  any  other  animal  of  the  kind,  steeped 
in  a  substance  extracted  from  the  bark  of  oaks  and 
some  other  trees.  For  this  purpose,  the  skins  are 
placed  for  several  months  in  vats  filled  with  water 
and  ground  bark ;  this  is  termed  tanning,  because  the 
substance  in  the  bark  is  called  tannin.  Thus  tanned, 
the  skin  is  more  pliant  and  lasting ;  in  a  word,  it  is 
leather. 

Little- John.  And  my  hat  ? 

Tom.  Hats  are  made  of  the  fur  of  rabbits  or  other 
animals,  strongly  pressed  or  crowded  together.  Fur 
has  the  property  of  sticking  together  when  thus 
worked,  and  forming  what  is  called  felt.  This  mate- 
rial, when  warm  and  wet,  is  soft  and  pliant;  it  is 
12* 


]38  LITTLE-JOHN. 


usually  dyed  black,  and  moulded  into  shape  by  allow- 
ing it  to  dry  upon  a  block  of  the  required  form.  The 
most  valuable  and  beautiful  hats  are  made  of  the  fur 
of  the  beaver ;  very  beautiful  hats  are  also  made  of 
silk. 

Little-John.  What  is  silk  ? 

Tom.  Ask  Louisa.  She  knows ;  for  I  believe  she 
once  reared  silkworms. 

But  Louisa  had  gone  to  clean  up  the  house  against 
her  grandmother's  return ;  and  John  walked  gravely 
up  and  down  the  room,  his  admiration  for  his  new 
clothes  increased,  if  possible,  since  he  had  learned  how 
each  article  was  made.  But  a  few  weeks  after,  an 
accident  happened  to  his  fine  new  coat ;  it  was  torn  in 
several  places.  The  way  in  which  it  happened  was 
as  follows. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
THE  FIGHT. 

One  Sunday,  Margaret  told  John  to  dress  himself 
nicely  in  his  new  clothes,  and  to  go  and  see  the  cler- 
gyman of  a  neighboring  village,  who  had  promised  to 
lend  her  some  books.  She  warned  him  particularly 
not  to  lose  time  on  the  road,  to  be  sure  to  arrive  in 
time  for  church,  and  not  to  approach  nearer  than  he 
could  help  to  a  pond  along  which  the  road  passed. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  139 


John  set  out,  quite  proud  to  walk  through  the  vil- 
lage in  his  new  clothes.  When  he  met  any  of  his  ac- 
quaintance, he  bowed  to  them  politely,  though  he  took 
good  care  not  to  injure,  as  he  did  so,  the  rim  of  his 
new  hat ;  and  he  avoided  the  dust  and  the  mud  for  fear 
of  soiling  his  shoes  and  pants. 

He  got  along  smoothly  until  he  reached  the  pond, 
and  there,  as  his  grandmother  had  told  him,  he  took 
the  far  side  of  the  road  without  approaching  the  edge ; 
but  as  he  got  near  the  end  of  the  pond,  where  the 
water  was  shallow,  he  saw  four  or  five  of  the  village 
boys  hard  at  work,  endeavoring  to  launch  a  boat  that 
had  been  drawn  high  up  on  the  shore.  Though  they 
had  not  obtained  permission,  they  wished  to  set  it 
afloat  in  order  to  row  about  the  pond  ;  but,  as  the  boat 
was  very  heavy,  they  found  it  hard  work.  As  soon 
as  they  espied  John,  they  shouted  to  him  to  come  and 
help  them.  Little-John  stopped  for  a  moment  to  look 
at  them  ;  he  thought  it  was  fine  sport,  but,  remember- 
ing Margaret's  advice,  he  was  about  to  continue  his 
route,  when  the  boys  ran  up  and  surrounded  him,  say- 
ing :  "  Come  along,  Little- John — come  ;  we  will  have 
such  fun !"  John  replied  to  them  that  he  wished  to 
get  to  church  in  time,  and  that  his  grandmother  had 
forbidden  him  to  go  near  the  pond.  Then  these  bad 
boys  laughed  at  him,  advising  him  to  remain  with 
them,  and  to  lie  to  his  grandmother  to  prevent  her 
from  finding  it  out.  John  had  a  horror  of  lying.  He 
colored  up  and  said :   "  I  will  neither  lie  nor  be  disobe- 


140  LITTLE-JOHN. 


dient :  I  will  go  to  church,  for  this  is  Sunday."  And 
he  was  proceeding  on  his  way ;  but  one  of  the  boys — 
the  same  fellow  that,  a  long  time  before,  had  knocked 
him  down  and  upset  his  apples  in  the  mud — barred  his 
way,  saying :  "  Let  us  make  him  go ;  pull  him  along, 
boys — I  will  push  him." 

Little- John  was  not  the  strongest.  In  vain  he  cried 
out,  "  Let  me  alone,  you  will  tear  my  coat ;  I  will  not 
go."  In  vain  he  struggled ;  he  was  dragged  towards 
the  boat.  Then  he  allowed  himself  to  be  led  some 
steps  without  resistance ;  but  when  they  got  near  a 
ditch  that  they  had  to  cross  before  reaching  the  boat, 
he  gave  those  in  front  of  him  a  vigorous  push,  so  sud- 
denly that  they  fell  over  into  the  ditch ;  then  turning 
quickly,  he  struck  the  big  fellow  behind  him  a  severe 
blow  between  the  eyes  before  he  had  time  to  defend 
himself.  He  profited  by  his  astonishment  to  give  him 
a  heavy  fall ;  picked  up  his  hat,  which  had  fallen  in 
the  contest,  and  set  off  on  his  journey.  The  boys, 
astonished  and  somewhat  intimidated,  contented  them- 
selves with  abusing  him  at  a  distance,  and  throwing  a 
few  stones  at  him. 

When  he  arrived  at  the  church  he  hid  himself,  to 
repair,  as  well  as  he  could,  the  damage  that  his  clothes 
had  received :  his  coat  was  torn,  two  of  the  buttons 
were  pulled  off,  and  his  hat  and  pantaloons  all  covered 
with  mud.  He  was  heartily  ashamed  of  his  appear- 
ance, and  somewhat  sorry  at  allowing  himself  to  have 
been  made  so  angry.     Still,  he  thought  it  better  as  it 


LITTLE-JOHN.  141 


was  than  if  he  had  disobeyed  his  grandmother,  broken 
the  Sabbath,  and  remained  away  from  church  ;  and  in 
saying  his  prayers,  when  he  came  to  the  words,  "  For- 
give us  our  sins,  as  we  forgive  those  who  have  sinned 
against  us,"  he  did  sincerely  and  with  all  his  heart 
forgive  the  bad  boys  who  had  treated  him  so  cruelly. 

After  church,  he  could  not  muster  courage,  in  the 
condition  that  he  was  in,  to  call  on  the  clemvman, 
but  returned  home  as  speedily  as  possible,  very  much 
crestfallen  and  ashamed  of  his  appearance.  Old  Tom 
was  there. 

"  Why,  John,  what  a  pickle  you  are  in !"  exclaimed 
his  old  friend ;  "  where  have  you  been,  my  son  ?  have 
you  had  a  fight  ?"  Margaret  and  Louisa  were  not  less 
astonished  or  uneasy.  Little-John  commenced  sim- 
ply to  tell  them  all  that  had  occurred ;  and  when  he 
got  to  where  he  managed  to  get  rid  of  the  boys  so 
well,  "Bravo!  well  done,  John!"  cried  old  Tom  ;  "give 
me  your  hand ;"  and  the  old  man  shook  him  heartily  by 
the  hand.  "Never  seek  a  quarrel,  my  boy,  but  always 
stand  up  for  your  rights.  What  if  your  coat  is  a  little 
torn  ?  Louisa  will  mend  it  to-morrow :  you  are  an 
honest  and  brave  boy,  for  you  withstood  temptation 
and  the  example  of  those  bad  boys,  who  failed  to  per- 
suade you  to  do  what  was  wrong ;  you  need  not  be 
ashamed,  for  you  fought  bravely.  I  will  tell  you 
now  of  a  battle,  in  which  the  weakest  party,  having 
right  and  justice  on  their  side,  triumphed  over  the 
strongest." 


142  LITTLE-JOHN. 


John  was  caressed  and  praised  by  his  grandmother 
and  sister;  he  ran  up-stairs,  put  on  his  everyday 
clothes,  and  returned  in  high  spirits  to  hear  Uncle 
Tom's  story. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  MACCABEES. 

Tom.  Louisa  related  to  you  the  story  of  Eleazer, 
who,  rather  than  tell  a  falsehood,  suffered  death  ? 

Little- John.  Yes,  Uncle  Tom,  not  long  ago. 

Tom.  Do  you  remember  the  king  Antiochus,  who 
ordered  him  to  be  put  to  death  ? 

Little-John.  O  yes !  I  remember  he  was  a  very  bad 
man. 

Tom.  Well,  this  cruel  prince,  enraged  at  the  Jews 
for  adhering  to  their  holv  religion,  went  to  Jerusalem 
with  a  large  army,  and  took  possession  of  the  city,  and 
ordered  his  soldiers,  during  three  days,  to  butcher 
all  the  inhabitants  they  could  lay  hands  on  —  men, 
women,  and  children.  He  defiled  the  temple  with  all 
sorts  of  crime  and  debauchery,  stripped  it  of  its  orna- 
ments and  sacred  vessels,  and  established  within  it  the 
worship  of  idols  and  false  gods. 

The  wretched  Jews  fled  to  caverns  to  worship  God, 
and  when  they  had  assembled  in  great  numbers,  the 


LITTLE-JOHN.  143 


tyrant's  soldiers  kindled  large  fires  at  the  mouths  of  the 
caverns,  and  suffocated  or  burnt  their  miserable  in- 
mates. 

Then  an  old  man,  named  Mattathias,  retired  with 
his  family  to  the  town  of  Modin.  The  king's  officers 
followed  them,  to  compel  such  Jews  as  had  taken 
refuge  there,  to  the  worship  of  their  false  gods.  They 
attempted  to  bribe  Mattathias  and  his  children  to  com- 
pliance, promising  him  the  friendship  of  the  king,  to- 
gether with  unbounded  wealth.  But  Mattathias  re- 
plied :  "  I  will  have  none  of  your  false  gods  ;  should  you 
succeed  in  getting  all  my  countrymen  to  submit  to 
your  injustice,  yet  I,  my  sons,  and  my  brothers  will 
ever  remain  faithful  to  our  religion,  and  to  the  laws  of 
God."  At  the  same  time,  he  drew  his  sword,  slew  the 
officer,  overthrew  the  altar  erected  to  the  false  gods, 
and  cried  out :  "  Let  all  the  faithful  follow  me !"  and 
he  fled  with  his  sons  to  the  mountains.  A  number  of 
brave  Jews  joined  him,  and  they  formed  a  small  army, 
which  began  to  make  head  against  the  enemy,  and  to 
destroy  the  idolatrous  temples.  However,  Mattathias, 
feeling  that  he  must  soon  die,  called  his  sons  about 
him,  and  said  to  them:  "We  are  now  in  the  hour 
of  trial,  but  you  must  not  despair.  Put  your  trust  in 
God,  for  he  never  abandons  the  faithful.  Simon,  your 
brother,  is  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  follow  his  advice, 
and  let  him  be  to  you  as  a  father.  Judas  Maccabeus 
is  full  of  courage,  let  him  command  your  army."  Mat- 
tathias blessed  his  children,  and  died. 


144  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Judas  Maccabeus  took  his  father's  place.  Assisted 
by  his  brothers  and  friends,  he  succeeded  in  assembling 
six  thousand  men.  With  this  small  army,  he  went 
from  city  to  city,  driving  out  the  pagans,  and  defeating 
the  military  detachments  that  he  encountered  in  the 
open  country.  The  fame  of  his  exploits  spread  far 
and  near,  and  the  enemy  became  alarmed.  Two  large 
armies  marched  against  him ;  he  defeated  them,  and 
slew  their  generals.  The  king  of  Syria,  enraged  at 
their  brave  resistance,  resolved  to  destroy  the  Jewish 
nation.  He  assembled  another  army  of  fifty  thousand 
men,  gave  the  command  to  an  able  general,  named 
Nicanor,  and  ordered  him  to  march  against  the  Jews. 
The  Jewish  army  numbered  but  six  thousand  men, 
and  when  those  that  were  faint-hearted  were  allowed 
to  withdraw,  it  was  reduced  to  three  thousand.  Every 
one  expected  it  to  be  crushed.  Judas  and  his  brothers 
never  faltered.  They  assembled  their  soldiers,  and  said 
to  them  :  "  Do  not  fear  this  multitude.  The  strength 
of  armies  does  not  consist  in  numbers,  but  in  God's 
protection,  and  God  is  with  us.  These  people  come 
to  despoil  us,  to  exterminate  ourselves,  our  wives,  and 
our  children ;  let  us  show,  then,  if  it  be  necessary,  how 
brave  men  can  die  for  their  country  and  their  religion." 
They  then  offered  up  a  prayer  to  heaven,  called  upon 
the  God  of  Israel  for  assistance,  and  attacked  the  ene- 
my.    Must  I  tell  you  all  that  happened  ? 

Little-John.  Oh !  yes  ;  do,  Uncle  Tom,  tell  us  all 
hat  occurred.     What  will  the  poor  Jews  do  ? 


LITTLE-JOHN.  145 


Tom.  Judas  Maccabeus  had  stationed  his  small  ar- 
my in  front  of  the  enemy's  camp,  on  the  look-out  for 
what  would  occur,  when  he  learned  that  Nicanor 
had  sent  an  able  officer,  named  Georgias,  with  five 
thousand  infantry  and  a  thousand  horse,  the  flower  of 
his  troops,  to  make  a  circuit  and  attack  the  Jews  in 
the  rear,  while  he  himself,  with  the  main  body  of  the 
army,  was  to  attack  them  in  front.  The  Jews  seemed 
lost.  ■ 

Then  Judas  took  a  sudden  resolution  ;  instead  of 
waiting  to  be  surrounded,  he  ordered  his  troops  to  dash 
at  once  into  the  enemy's  camp,  and  set  fire  to  it. 
Nicanor's  troops,  astounded  at  seeing  themselves  thus 
attacked  by  people  that  they  thought  already  half 
dead  with  fear,  and  alarmed  at  the  flames  that  spread 
rapidly  from  tent  to  tent,  were  seized  with  a  panic, 
and  fled  with  the  utmost  confusion,  throwing  down  and 
crushing  each  other  in  their  flight.  Instead  of  pur- 
suing them,  Judas,  remembering  Georgias  and  his 
strong  detachment,  prepared  to  receive  him.  This 
last,  when  he  reached  the  Jewish  camp,  was  surprised 
to  find  it  deserted.  He  imagined  that  Judas  had  fled, 
and  after  vain  efforts  to  find  him  in  the  mountains,  he 
was  returning  with  his  troops,  exhausted  with  fatigue ; 
but,  as  soon  as  they  perceived  that  their  camp  was  on 
fire,  their  companions  in  retreat,  and  the  bold  front  of 
the  victorious  Jews,  they  threw  down  their  arms,  and 
took  to  flight,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  their  general  to 
rally  them.     Judas  then  ordered  his  trumpets  to  sound 

13 


146  LITTLE-JOHN. 


the  charge.  Without  counting  the  wounded,  the  killed 
amounted  to  nine  thousand.  After  the  victory,  the 
Jews  returned  thanks  to  God,  for  having  afforded  them 
such  powerful  protection.  All  the  wealth  left  by  the 
enemy  in  their  camp  was  for  the  most  part  distributed 
among  the  poor,  the  widows,  and  orphans. 

Judas  gained  several  other  great  victories,  drove  the 
enemy  from  Jerusalem,  purified  the  temple,  and  re- 
built the  'altars  that  Antiochus  had  destroyed.  This 
prince  was  returning  from  a  distant  expedition,  in 
which  he  had  hoped  to  enrich  himself;  but,  as  the 
expedition  proved  unfortunate,  he  was  exceedingly 
melancholy.  When  he  heard  of  the  triumphs  of  Ju- 
das Maccabeus,  and  the  disastrous  fate  of  his  armies, 
he  was  transported  with  fury.  He  determined  to  go 
himself  to  Jerusalem  ;  and  swore  to  exterminate  the 
Jews  to  the  last  man,  and  to  bury  them  under  the 
ruins  of  their  city  and  their  temple.  At  the  moment 
when  he  took  the  oath,  he  was  seized  with  an  illness, 
that  occasioned  him  the  most  excruciating  torture,  but 
he  persevered,  and  even  increased  his  speed.  As  his 
chariot  dashed  along  at  great  speed,  he  fell  from  it,  and 
was  badly  bruised.  They  were  then  obliged  to  carry 
him  in  a  litter.  He  was  covered  with  sores,  which 
soon  became  alive  with  worms ;  and  his  whole  body 
became  one  mass  of  corruption,  and  gave  out  the  most 
intolerable  smell.  Then  he  remembered  the  tortures 
that  he  had  made  the  Jews  endure ;  and,  repentant  of 
the  injustice  and  the  cruelties  that  he  had  inflicted  on 


LITTLE-JOHN.  147 


them,  he  promised  to  worship  the  true  and  living  God, 
to  make  peace  with  the  Jewish  nation,  and  to  repair, 
as  far  as  he  could,  all  the  evil  that  he  had  done  them. 
But  his  repentance  came  too  late  ;  he  had  not  time 
to  accomplish  his  tardy  promise,  and  he  perished 
miserably,  in  the  most  frightful  agonies.  His  son, 
also  named  Antiochus,  determined  to  continue  the 
war,  and  his  generals  having  been  repeatedly  defeated 
by  Judas  Maccabeus,  he  determined  to  march  against 
the  Jews  himself,  at  the  head  of  an  army  more  numer- 
ous and  better  appointed  than  any  that  he  had  sent 
forth. 

A  hundred  thousand  infantry,  twenty  thousand  cav- 
alry, and  thirty-two  elephants,  trained  to  war,  marched 
at  his  command.  Each  elephant  carried  on  its  back 
a  bower,  made  of  wood,  filled  with  skilful  archers. 
Judas,  filled  with  confidence  in  God,  marched  forth 
with  his  little  band  to  encounter  this  formidable  host. 
During  the  battle,  a  young  Jew,  named  Eleazer,  re- 
marked an  elephant  larger  than  the  others,  covered 
with  royal  trappings.  Thinking  that  king  Antiochus 
was  upon  him,  and  that  if  he  were  wounded  or  killed, 
that  his  army  would  take  to  flight,  he  resolved  to  offer 
up  his  life  a  sacrifice  to  save  his  country.  He  rushed 
through  the  armed  battalions,  slaying  right  and  left 
all  who  opposed  his  progress,  reached  the  elephant, 
threw  himself  beneath  him,  and  stabbed  him  to  death 
with  his  sword.  The  huge  animal  in  his  fall  crushed 
him  to  death. 


148  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Little-John.  Was  the  kino;  on  him  ? 

Tom.  No,  my  child  ;  he  was  not.  But  the  devoted 
braveiy  of  Eleazer  was  not  useless,  for  it  intimidated 
the  enemy,  and  filled  the  Jews  with  ardor  and  courage. 
Judas  Maccabeus  himself  perished  two  years  after  on 
the  field  of  battle.  A  new  and  powerful  army  having 
invaded  Judea,  his  soldiers,  panic-stricken,  abandoned 
him,  with  the  exception  of  eight  hundred.  His  friends 
entreated  him  to  retire.  "No,"  said  he,  "it  shall  never 
be  said  that  I  recoiled  before  an  enemy.  Let  us  rather 
die  fighting  bravely  for  our  country."  With  his  eight 
hundred  men  he  attacked  the  enemy  twenty-two  thou- 
sand strong  ;  but  surrounded  by  this  multitude  he  died 
gloriously,  after  performing  prodigies  of  valor. 

Little- John.  There  was  a  brave  man  ! 

Tom.  Yes,  my  boy,  a  true  hero,  who  offered  up  his 
life  without  regret,  for  we  may  die  contentedly  when 
we  fight  for  our  country,  our  liberties,  and  our  honor. 
But  come  and  see  me  to-morrow  ;  it  is  a  holiday,  I  be- 
lieve ;  and  since  you  like  to  hear  about  heroes  and 
patriots,  I  will  tell  you  about  some  that  every  Ameri- 
can should  look  upon  with  pride  and  veneration.  Be- 
sides, we  will  take  a  walk  to  a  place  that  you  don't 
expect. 

Old  Tom  went  his  way,  and  John  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  the  day  quietly  with  his  grandmother  and 
sister  ;  and  at  night  when  he  went  to  bed  he  sot  to 
thinking  about  the  walk  that  Uncle  Tom  had  promised 
him.     While  he  was  trying  to  guess  where  he  would 


LITTLE-JOHN.  149 


take  him,  he  fell  asleep,  and  slept  so  soundly  that  when 
he  awoke  the  next  morning  the  sun  was  beaming  in 
his  chamber. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
GENERAL   WASHINGTON. 

Little-John  was  faithful  to  the  appointment  that 
he  had  made  with  Uncle  Tom.  The  old  man  and  the 
little  boy  set  out  together  like  two  good  friends,  and 
took  the  direction  of  the  mill.  Little-John  was  so 
happy  that  he  jumped  with  joy.  When  he  got  more 
calm,  and  walked  quietly  by  the  side  of  old  Tom,  he 
could  talk  of  nothing  but  Judas  Maccabeus,  his  great 
victories,  his  great  courage,  and  his  glorious  death.  He 
went  on  at  such  a  rate,  that  at  last  old  Tom,  who  no 
doubt  had  a  great  veneration  for  the  history  of  the 
Jews,  but  who  was  proud  of  the  history  of  his  own 
country,  in  which  he  had  been  an  actor,  said  to  him  : 

"  Judas  Maccabeus  was  a  great  and  brave  man,  and 
you  are  right  to  admire  him.  But  have  I  not  told  you 
that  Americans  know  how  to  fight  too,  and  that  we 
have  had  men  as  brave  and  as  patriotic  as  Judas  Mac- 
cabeus ? 

"  You  remember,  John,  that  on  the  22d  of  last  Feb- 
ruary you  had  a  holiday  ?     Well,    that  holiday  was 


150  LITTLE-JOHN. 


given  in  honor  of  General  Washington's  memory.  He 
was  born  on  the  22d  of  February,  1732,  in  Westmore- 
land county,  Virginia.  It  would  be  impossible  to  im- 
agine a  man  more  admirably  fitted  in  every  way  than 
he  to  achieve  the  great  ends  for  which  Providence 
seems  evidently  to  have  designed  him.  It  would  seem, 
too,  that  he  was  born  precisely  at  the  right  time,  for 
when  his  country  required  his  services,  he  was  of  ma- 
ture years,  with  all  the  noble  faculties  of  his  great 
character  fully  developed. 

"  General  Washington's  father  died  when  he  was 
but  ten  years  old,  but  fortunately  for  himself  and  his 
country,  he  had  a  mother — such  a  mother  as  the  old 
Romans  would  have  erected  statues  to,  and  have  hon 
ored  among  the  greatest  of  their  land.  This  admira- 
ble mother  educated  him  in  a  manner  to  develop  all 
the  high  qualities  of  his  nature,  and  to  render  him 
equal  to  the  glorious  destiny  to  which  Providence 
called  him.  At  eighteen,  Lord  Fairfax  made  him 
surveyor  of  an  immense  tract  of  wild  lands,  that  now 
includes  many  counties.  The  occupation  of  a  sur- 
veyor was  at  that  time,  when  the  Indians  were  still 
numerous,  not  only  attended  with  great  toil  but  con- 
siderable danger.  It  was  a  calling  better  fitted  than 
most  others  to  prepare  a  man  for  military  life. 

"  Young  Washington,  with  a  constitution  naturally 
robust,  became  inured  to  toil,  privation,  and  danger, 
grew  up  to  be  a  man  of  majestic  form,  and  with  a  face 
stamped  with  that  peculiar  grandeur  of  expression, 


LITTLE-JOHN.  151 


which  marked  him  at  once  as  one  born  to  influence 
the  fate  of  nations.  His  military  career  commenced 
as  lieutenant-colonel  of  a  Virginia  regiment,  when  he 
distinguished  himself  by  his  gallant  defence  of  a  little 
frontier  fort  (called  Fort  Necessity)  against  an  over- 
whelming force  of  French  and  Indians,  and  though  the 
fort  was  captured,  and  he  made  prisoner,  he  received 
the  thanks  of  the  legislature  for  his  gallantry.  In 
1775,  he  was  aid  to  General  Braddock,  when  that 
general,  though  warned  by  Washington,  was  surprised 
by  the  enemy,  defeated,  and  slain.  Providence  evi- 
dently watched  over  the  future  saviour  of  his  country 
on  this  occasion,  for  Washington  had  two  horses  kill- 
ed under  him,  and  received  five  balls  in  his  clothing, 
without  being  hurt ;  and  it  was  entirely  owing  to  his 
skill  that  the  survivors  escaped,  and  returned  in  safety 
to  their  homes. 

"  Soon  after  this  commenced  those  acts  of  tyranny 
and  oppression,  that  drove  our  ancestors  to  that  resist- 
ance which  ended  finally  in  their  emancipation.  The 
congress  in  Philadelphia  looked  for  a  man  who  might 
guide  his  countrymen  in  the  terrible  ordeal  through 
which  they  were  to  pass ;  and  directed  by  an  over- 
ruling Providence,  they  selected  George  Washington. 
Nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  justify  their  choice. 
The  annals  of  the  world  can  scarcely  show  so  perfect 
a  man.  It  would  seem  that  God  had  endowed  him  in 
their  highest  perfection  with  the  very  virtues  and  tal- 
ents that  his  career  most  required.     France  had  her 


152  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Napoleon,  but  he  sacrificed  millions  to  his  insatiable 
ambition  ;  England  had  her  Cromwell,  but  he  degen- 
erated into  a  tyrant ;  ancient  Rome  had  her  Caesar, 
but  his  ambition  was  too  great  for  his  virtue.  There 
are  many  illustrious  men  mentioned  in  history  who 
possessed  as  much  talent  as  Washington,  but  none  who 
possessed  his  talents  with  his  virtues ;  and  none  who 
engraved  their  names  as  imperishably  as  he  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen. 

"  The  history  of  our  Revolution  is  a  record  of  alter- 
nate successes  and  defeats,  from  the  battle  of  Bunker- 
Hill  to  the  final  triumph  at  Yorktown.  In  every  situ- 
ation, in  the  dark  hour  of  adversity,  in  the  full  tide  of 
success,  in  the  depressing  defeat,  and  in  the  elation  of 
victory,  General  Washington  was  ectmlly  great ;  and, 
finally,  he  who  might,  if  he  would,  have  become  a 
king,  died  a  plain  farmer. 

"When  the  war  was  over,  Washington  resigned 
his  commission,  and  retired  to  his  farm  at  Mount 
Vernon.  Here  he  would  have  preferred  to  remain, 
but  his  country,  that  he  had  defended  so  well  in  the 
field,  required  his  services  in  council ;  and  he  was 
unanimously  elected  first  President  of  the  United 
States  for  two  successive  terms.  Then,  finding  his 
beloved  country  in  a  prosperous  condition,  he  retired 
to  private  life.  This  was  in  1796.  On  Saturday,  the 
14th  of  December,  1799,  he  died,  leaving  a  name  that 
will  live  until  this  world  shall  be  no  more.  Truly  it 
was  said  in  a  funeral  oration  pronounced  by  the  vir- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  153 


tuous  and  enlightened  John  Marshall,  that  'he  was 
first  in  war,  first  in  peace,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of 
his  countrymen.'  " 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
SAILING    IN    A    BOAT. 

Thus  conversing,  the  two  friends  arrived  at  the  mill- 
pond  ;  and  as  old  Tom  seemed  to  wish  to  stop  with- 
out going  farther,  Little-John,  though  very  well  satis- 
fied with  his  walk,  was  surprised  that  it  should  be  so 
soon  over,  and  that  there  was  nothing  so  extraordinary 
about  it,  as  he  had  been  led  to  believe.  But  he  was 
astonished  and  delighted  when  he  saw  Uncle  Tom  get 
into  the  boat,  and  cast  loose  the  rope  that  fastened  it. 
He  cried  out :  "  Oh  ho !  you  were  right,  Uncle  Tom  ; 
I  did  not  expect  to  take  the  row  in  the  boat  to-day 
that  they  tried  to  force  me  to  take  yesterday.  What 
fun  we  shall  have  !     Thank  you,  Uncle  Tom." 

Tom.  It  is  precisely  because  you  behaved  so  well 
and  so  bravely  yesterday,  that  I  wished  to  give  you 
this  agreeable  surprise  to-day.  I  thought  that  you 
would  like  to  take  a  row  upon  the  water,  so  I  borrow- 
ed the  boat  from  the  miller. 

Little-John  had  perhaps  never  before  experienced 
such  delight.     Tom  taught  him  how  to  row  the  boat 


154  LITTLE-JOHN. 


himself.  He  pulled  up  to  the  beautiful  yellow  and 
white  flowers,  with  large  green  leaves,  that  he  had 
heretofore  been  compelled  to  admire  at  a  distance  from 
the  shores  of  the  pond.  He  gathered  a  quantity  for 
Louisa,  and  he  was  astonished  at  the  length  of  their 
stems.  At  length  his  delight  was  at  its  height,  when 
Tom  set  up  a  mast,  and  hoisted  a  sail  that  he  had  pre- 
pared beforehand,  and  of  which  he  had  said  nothing. 
He  understood  then  how  it  was  that  the  wind  filling 
the  sail  pressed  the  boat  forward.  He  thought  it  very 
pleasant  to  see  the  boat  dashing  along  without  the 
trouble  of  rowing  her.  As  the  wind  was  high,  he  felt 
somewhat  intimidated  at  the  speed  at  which  they  shot 
along.  It  seemed  to  him  that  the  trees  on  the  shore 
were  running  away  at  great  speed,  whereas,  on  the 
contrary,  carried  along  by  the  boat,  it  was  he  himself 
that  moved  so  rapidly;  the  steadiness  and  smooth- 
ness with  which  the  boat  moved  upon  the  tranquil 
water,  making  it  appear  otherwise.  Aftey  they  land- 
ed, Little-John  threw  his  arms  around  the  old  sailor's 
neck,  saying — 

"  Uncle  Tom,  you  have  made  me  very  happy  ;  let 
me  kiss  you  ;  for,  do  you  see,  I  was  thinking  just  now 
that  I  was  nothing  but  a  poor  foundling,  and  yet  I  have 
great  reason  for  being  grateful  to  God,  since  he  has 
given  me  a  mother  like  Margaret,  a  sister  like  Louisa, 
and  such  a  kind,  dear  friend  as  you  are,  whom  I  love 
as  if  you  were  my  own  father." 

Old  Tom  pressed  the  child  in  his  arms,  and  turned 


LITTLE-JOHN.  155 


his  head  quickly  away,  for,  rough  sailor  as  he  was,  he 
felt  his  eyes  filling  with  tears. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

THE  SUN. 

During  that  same  week  Little- John  made  another 
excursion  that  he  enjoyed  exceedingly. 

One  evening,  Margaret  told  Louisa  to  go  the  next 
morning  very  early  and  take  home  some  thread  that 
she  had  spun  for  a  farmer's  wife,  who  lived  five  or  six 
miles  off.  John  was  allowed  to  go  with  her.  Louisa 
awoke  some  time  before  day;  she  called  John,  who 
got  up  immediately.  They  said  their  prayers,  and  set 
out  while  it  was  yet  dark. 

The  stars  were  shining  brightly,  and  the  birds  had 
not  yet  commenced  to  sing.  The  sky  in  front  of  them 
grew  lighter  and  lighter  ;  the  stars  became  dimmer 
and  dimmer,  so  that  they  could  scarcely  be  seen.  In 
a  short  time  the  eastern  sky  became  pink,  then  red, 
then  yellow,  the  light  becoming  brighter  each  moment. 
Behind  them,  on  the  contrary,  they  could  see  the  dark- 
ness gradually  disappearing.  Suddenly  the  sun  ap- 
peared like  a  ball  of  bright  fire,  dazzling  to  the  eye  to 
look  upon.  His  brilliant  rays  spreading  in  every  direc- 
tion, illuminated  the  crests  of  the  hills,  the  tops  of  the 


156  LITTLE-JOHN. 


trees,  and  the  column  of  smoke  that  peacefully  curled 
over  the  village.  The  birds  began  all  at  once  to  sing, 
the  flowers  bloomed,  and  their  beautiful  colors,  still 
humid  with  dew,  stood  out  in  bright  relief  on  the  green 
grass.  Louisa  and  Little-John  were  untiring  in  their 
admiration  of  the  landscape,  reposed  and  refreshed  as 
it  were  by  the  calmness  of  the  night,  and  suddenly 
lighted  up  by  the  pure  soft  morning  light.  John  was 
of  opinion  that  the  sun  was  very  beautiful,  very  grand, 
and  a  great  invention. 

"  Do  not  forget,"  said  Louisa  to  him,  "  to  thank  the 
inventor,  who  is  God :  just  think  how  many  creatures 
there  are  at  this  moment  rejoicing  in  the  light  and 
warmth  of  the  sun ;  for  the  sun  shines  for  every  cre- 
ated thing — for  the  smallest  insect  as  for  man." 

Little-John  and  Louisa  arrived  at  the  farm  in  high 
spirits,  and  were  kindly  welcomed  by  the  farmer's 
wife,  who  was  fond  of  them.  She  gave  them  a  nice 
breakfast  of  eggs  and  milk,  and  told  them  to  run  about 
and  amuse  themselves  until  she  got  a  bundle  of  flax 
ready  for  them  to  take  back. 

The  children  went  out  to  see  the  farm-hands  at 
work.  They  saw  the  cows  milked,  and  admired  the 
pretty  calves.  But  what  interested  them  most  was  a 
hen,  surrounded  by  her  little  chickens.  Their  hearts 
were  moved  at  witnessing  the  constancy  of  this  tender 
mother,  who,  after  sitting  for  three  weeks  upon  her 
eggs,  seemed  to  brood  them  a  second  time  after  they 
were  hatched.     In  witnessing  her  anxiety,  and  the  care 


LITTLE-JOHN. 


157 


with  which  she  scratched  the  earth  to  find  them  food 
without  taking  any  herself,  Little- John  said  :  "  That  is 
the  way  our  grandmother  loves  us."  A  large  dog 
came  by  and  alarmed  the  brood.  Little-John  was 
curious  to  know  how  the  hen,  naturally  so  timid, 
would  protect  her  young.  What  was  his  surprise 
when  he  saw  her  throw  herself  before  the  enemy, 
attack  him  courageously,  and  put  him  to  flight  !  He 
then  wished  to  see  if  she  would  be  more  afraid  of  him 
than  the  dog,  and  was  about  to  pick  up  one  of  her 
young  ones,  when  Louisa  stopped  him. 

"  You  ought  not/'  said  she,    "  to  cause  the  poor 
14 


158  LITTLE-JOHN. 


creature  any  useless  suffering ;  the  heart  is  hardened 
by  the  habit  of  witnessing  unnecessary  pain  even  in 
animals." 

"  You  are  a  good  sister,"  replied  John ;  "  you  are 
right ;  none  but  the  bad-hearted  take  pleasure  in  inflict- 
ing pain  upon  dumb  creatures.  In  self-defence  we 
may  kill  them,  for  then  there  is  a  necessity  for  it,  as 
there  is  when  we  kill  them  for  food  or  for  profit.  Is 
it  not  so,  Louisa?" 

Louisa.  All  that  is  true,  John,  and  does  not  prevent 
our  being  of  the  same  opinion;  for  you  will  agree  that 
there  is  a  great  difference  between  killing  an  animal 
for  its  skin  and  its  flesh,  that  we  are  in  need  of,  and 
tormenting  it  for  the  cruel  pleasure  of  seeing  it  suffer." 

The  day  was  already  far  advanced,  when  the  farm- 
er's wife  handed  to  Louisa  the  bundle  of  flax  that 
Margaret  was  to  spin  for  her.  The  brother  and  sister 
set  out  without  delay,  in  order  to  reach  home  before 
night,  so  as  not  to  cause  their  grandmother  any  anx- 
iety. As  they  walked  along,  they  were  surprised  at 
having  the  sun  in  their  faces,  as  they  had  had  it  in  the 
morning.  "  Is  it  not  singular,"  said  Little-John,  "  that 
we  still  have  the  sun  in  front  of  us,  though  we  are 
going  in  a  contrary  way  from  what  we  did  this  morn- 
ing ?  Look,  Louisa,  there  is  the  darkness  again  behind 
us,  with  the  stars  that  are  beginning  to  shine ;  only 
this  morning  it  fled  away  fast,  whereas  now  it  seems 
to  follow  us.  The  sun  must  have  travelled  a  great 
way  to  be  where  it  is  now." 


LITTLE-JOHN.  159 


Louisa.  Uncle  Tom  says  that  the  sun  does  not 
move  at  all. 

Little-John.  That  cannot  be  possible.  Must  we 
not  believe  our  own  eyes  ?  did  we  not  see  the  sun  get 
up  from  behind  the  big  woods,  and  is  it  not  descend- 
ing now  behind  the  church  yonder  ?" 

It  was  dark  when  the  two  children  arrived  at  home. 
They  found  Margaret  in  conversation  with  old  Tom. 
As  soon  as  Little-John  saw  the  old  man,  he  ran  and 
seated  himself  on  his  knee,  saying :  "  The  sun  goes 
around  the  earth,  does  it  not,  Uncle  Tom  ?" 

"No,  my  boy,"  replied  Tom,  who  understood  imme- 
diately what  he  wanted ;  "  the  earth  goes  round  the 
sun.  Do  you  not  know  that  the  earth  is  an  enor- 
mous ball  ?" 

Little-John.  A  ball !  no,  indeed.  I  thought  that  the 
earth  was  flat. 

Tom.  You  wTere  mistaken.  When  we  stand  upon 
the  seashore,  and  a  vessel  comes  towards  us,  we  see 
nothing  at  first  but  the  tops  of  her  masts ;  gradually, 
as  she  draws  nearer,  we  see  more  and  more  of  the 
masts,  until  finally  we  see  the  vessel  itself.  If  the 
earth  was  flat,  should  we  not  see  the  entire  vessel  at 
once  ?     Consequently,  the  earth  is  round. 

Little-John.  If  the  earth  is  round,  we  ought  to  be 
able  to  go  around  it. 

Tom.  Certainly,  we  can  travel  around  the  earth,  and 
it  can  be  done  in  eighteen  months,  or  two  years.  I 
have  made  two  voyages  around  the  globe. 


160  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Little-John.  Well,  I  give  it  up — the  earth  is  round  ! 

Tom.  The  earth  is,  then,  a  large  globe ;  now,  this 
lar^e  o;lobe  turns  around  the  sun,  which  is  immovable. 

Little-John.  As  to  that,  Uncle  Tom,  I  must  believe 
it,  because  you  say  so  ;  but  it  seems  to  me — " 

Tom.  Well,  go  on,  my  boy — what  seems  to  you? 
You  are  right  to  take  my  word,  because  you  know 
that  I  have  more  experience  than  yourself,  and  that  I 
would  not  deceive  you ;  but  it  is  still  better  to  ask  an 
explanation  of  what  puzzles  you,  in  order  to  under- 
stand it. 

Little-John.  It  seems  to  me  that  I  can  see  the  sun 
moving,  and  the  earth  standing  still.  If  the  earth 
turned,  should  I  not  see  it  moving,  with  the  trees  and 
houses  on  it?  Besides,  I  can  see  the  sun  distinctly 
moving  with  my  own  eyes. 

Tom.  No,  my  boy;  if  the  earth  turned,  you  would 
not  see  it  moving  with  the  trees  and  houses,  because 
the  same  motion  would  carry  you  along.  We  must 
not  always  rely  upon  our  eyes,  for  they  may  often  de- 
ceive us.  Thus,  the  other  day,  when  you  were  gliding 
along  so  smoothly  in  the  boat,  it  appeared  to  you  that 
the  boat  stood  still,  and  that  the  trees  on  the  shore 
were  in  motion — why?  Because  everything  in  the 
boat,  travelling  as  fast  as  you  did,  remained  at  the 
same  distance  from  your  eyes ;  while  the  trees  were 
at  every  instant  at  a  greater  or  less  distance.  The 
same  thing  occurs  when  we  are  moving  with  speed  in  a 
carriage  :  all  objects  on  the  roadside  appear  to  be  flee- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  161 


ing  away  from  us.  Of  the  sun  and  the  earth,  neces- 
sarily one  moves  and  the  other  does  not ;  if  your  eyes 
deceive  you,  and  lead  you  to  believe  that  the  earth  is 
stationary,  they  must,  at  the  same  time,  deceive  in 
inducing  you  to  believe  that  the  sun  is  in  motion. 

Little-John.  Well,  Uncle  Tom,  I  believe  now  that 
the  sun  is  stationary,  and  the  earth  in  motion,  though 
it  appears  to  me  to  be  just  the  reverse.  I  beg  that 
you  will  explain  to  me  how  it  happens ;  it  is  difficult 
to  understand  it. 

Tom.  Not  so  difficult  as  you  suppose,  John.  Place 
yourself  before  the  lamp,  and  turn  yourself  round 
slowly :  do  you  not  see  that  it  is  sometimes  your  face, 
and  sometimes  the  back  of  your  head  that  is  in  the 
light.  It  is  just  so  with  the  earth ;  she  turns  in  a  way 
to  present  the  different  portions  of  her  surface  to  the 
sunlight  one  after  the  other.  One-half  the  earth,  then, 
must  always  be  in  the  dark,  while  the  other  is  exposed 
to  the  light ;  and,  as  it  takes  twenty-four  hours  to  turn, 
each  portion  of  the  globe  is  twelve  hours  in  the  sun- 
light and  twelve  in  darkness. 

Little-John.  But,  Uncle  Tom,  the  days  are  not  all 
twelve  hours  long ;  they  get  shorter  in  winter,  and 
longer  in  summer, 

Tom.  Very  true.  It  is  only  in  certain  countries 
that  day  and  night  are  equal.  In  the  United  States 
we  have  sixteen  hours  of  daylight  in  summer,  and, 
consequently,  only  eight  hours  of  darkness.  In  winter 
it  is  the  reverse ;  the  nights  being  long,  and  the  days 
14* 


162  LITTLE-JOHN. 


short.  But  you  will  be  astonished  when  I  tell  you 
that  there  are  some  countries  in  which  the  entire  year 
consists  of  a  single  night  and  a  single  day,  each  of  six 
months'  duration. 

Little-John.  What !  there  are  countries  in  which  we 
can  see  the  sun  for  six  months  in  succession,  and  then 
have  a  night  six  months  long!  That  must  be  near 
where  those  Laplanders  live,  that  Louisa  told  me  about. 
But  how  can  it  be  ?  I  should  like  to  know. 

Tom.  A  few  years  hence,  after  you  have  studied 
geography,  which  is  the  description  of  the  earth,  and 
astronomy,  which  is  the  science  of  the  stars,  you  will 
easily  comprehend  how  a  slight  inclination  of  the  earth, 
with  respect  to  the  sun,  causes  the  inequality  in  the 
lengths  of  days  and  nights.  But  for  to-day,  it  is  suffi- 
cient that  you  should  know  that  day  and  night  are  pro- 
duced by  the  earth  turning  upon  itself,  once  in  twenty- 
four  hours. 

Little-John.  Ah !  that  reminds  me  of  something  that 
I  wanted  to  say  just  now.  If  the  earth  does  not  move 
any  faster,  if  it  only  makes  one  turn  in  twenty-four 
hours,  I  am  not  astonished  that  I  do  not  see  it  move. 
It  is  like  the  hands  of  your  watch ;  they  advance  so 
slowly  that  we  do  not  perceive  their  motion. 

Tom.  Take  care,  John,  you  are  talking  without 
thinking.  I  have  already  explained  to  you  how  it  is 
that  you  do  not  perceive  the  motion  of  the  earth.  It 
is  because  you  are  carried  along  yourself  by  this  mo- 
tion, with  every  thing  that  surrounds  you.     Whether 


LITTLE-JOHN.  163 


the  earth  turns  slowly  or  rapidly,  you  cannot  perceive 
it ;  but,  far  from  going  slowly,  as  you  suppose,  the 
earth  moves  with  great  rapidity. 

Little-John.  How  so,  Uncle  Tom  ? 

Tom.  When  a  cart-wheel  turns,  which  goes  round 
most  frequently,  the  hub  or  the  rim  ? 

Little-John.  One  goes  round  as  often  as  the  other. 

Tom.  Do  they  go  equally  fast  ? 

Little-John.  Oh,  not  at  all ;  as  they  both  make  the 
same  number  of  turns,  the  hub  makes  a  small  turn, 
while  the  rim  makes  a  large  one.  I  have  often  noticed 
it  at  the  mill ;  the  shaft  in  the  middle  goes  very  slowly, 
and  the  buckets  go  very  fast. 

Tom.  Very  well.  You  perceive,  then,  that  if  the 
wheel  was  very  large,  the  hub  might  turn  very  slowly, 
while  the  rim  would  move  very  fast. 

Little-John.  Certainly. 

Tom.  Well,  it  is  just  so  with  the  earth ;  but,  instead 
of  being  a  wheel,  it  is  an  enormous  ball,  that  turns  al- 
ways in  the  same  direction,  once  in  twenty-four  hours. 
Consequently,  the  centre  turns  very  slowly,  while  the 
outside  goes  over  an  immense  distance. 

Little-John.  Is  the  distance  known  ? 

Tom.  Exactly;  for  we  have  means  of  measuring 
the  size  of  the  earth  with  great  precision ;  but  the  dis- 
tance varies  according  to  the  points  considered.  If 
you  run  one  of  your  grandmother's  knitting-needles 
through  an  apple,  and  make  the  apple  turn  upon  the 
needle,  its  motion  will  be  like  that  of  the  earth.     The 


164  LITTLE-JOHN. 


nearer  you  approach  the  needle,  the  slower  the  mo- 
tion will  be  ;  and  the  speed  increases  as  you  move 
away  from  it.  The  size  of  the  circle  is  in  proportion 
to  the  distance  from  the  centre.  Now,  the  circum- 
ference of  the  earth,  at  the  equator,  is  about  25,000 
miles  ;  so  that  a  house,  or  any  other  object,  on  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  at  the  equator,  must  move  at  the 
rate  of  25,000  miles  a  day.  But  our  country  being 
north  of  the  equator,  it  does  not  describe  so  large  a 
circle ;  yet,  while  we  are  talking  here  so  quietly,  we, 
the  house,  the  whole  village,  and  every  thing  around 
us,  are  moving  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  a 
minute. 

Little-John.  Fifteen  or  twenty  miles  a  minute  !  no 
one  could  go  as  fast  as  that. 

Tom.   Certainly  not. 

Little-John.  There  must  be  a  great  many  countries, 
one  after  the  other,  if  the  same  one  is  not  turned  to 
the  sun  more  than  once  in  twenty-four  hours,  when 
we  are  going  at  such  speed  ;  are  all  these  countries 
known  ? 

Tom.  Yes  ;  nearly  all  parts  of  the  earth  have  been 
travelled  over,  except  the  vicinity  of  the  two  points 
called  the  poles,  where,  as  I  told  you,  the  whole 
year  is  divided  into  one  day  and  one  night  of  six 
months  each,  and  where  it  is  so  cold  that  neither  man, 
animals,  nor  plants  can  subsist.  You  must  not  ima- 
gine that  the  whole  earth  is  habitable  ;  a  great  part  is 
covered  by  vast  bodies  of  salt  water  called  seas.  There 


LITTLE-JOHN.  165 


are  also  vast  countries  called  continents,  but  there  is 
four  times  as  much  water  as  land. 

Little- John.  And  are  there  several  continents  ? 

Tom.  Yes ;  there  are  three.  One  contains  Asia, 
Africa,  and  Europe  ;  the  next  is  America,  which  has 
been  known  a  little  more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ;  and  the  third  is  New  Holland,  that  has  been 
discovered  more  recently  still. 

Little-John.  And  all  these  countries  pass  each  in 
their  turn  before  the  sun  ;  so  that  while  it  is  daylight 
in  one  it  may  be  night  in  another  ? 

Tom.  Just  so. 

Little-John.  How  funny  to  think  that  all  this  turns ! 
how  it  would  amuse  me  to  see  it  go  around  ! 

And  full  of  wonder  at  what  he  had  learned,  Little- 
John  commenced  turning  before  the  lamp,  and  as  his 
face  was  now  in  the  light  and  then  in  the  shade, 
"  Yes,"  said  he,  "  it  is  all  true  ;  now  it  is  day — now  it  is 
night."  Then  suddenly  stopping,  and  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  he  said  :  "  Uncle  Tom,  you  told  me  that 
the  earth  went  around  the  sun,  yet  I  do  not  go  around 
the  lamp  ;  I  only  spin  round  before  it.  Does  the  earth 
only  spin  before  the  sun  ?" 

Tom.  Certainly  not.  While  it  spins,  as  you  very 
properly  express  it,  it  makes  a  great  circuit  around  the 
sun,  just  as  you  would  do,  if  continuing  to  spin,  you 
were  to  go  around  the  lamp.  It  is  this  motion  of  the 
earth,  together  with  its  inclination  with  regard  to  the 
sun,  that  causes  the  change  of  the  seasons,  and  the  in- 


166  LITTLE-JOIIX. 


equality  of  the  days  and  nights.  The  time  required 
by  the  earth  to  go  around  the  sun  is  precisely  one 
year  :  as  while  the  earth  is  going  around  the  sun  she 
turns  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  times  upon  herself, 
it  follows  that  the  year  is  composed  of  that  number  of 
days. 

"  I  understand  very  well  now,"  said  Little- John  ; 
"  but  it  seems  to  me  odd  that  such  an  immense  mass 
as  the  earth  should  be  made  to  go  around  such  a  small 
one  as  the  sun." 

Tom.  So  small,  my  boy  !  you  are  not  thinking ; 
how  often  have  I  told  you  that  we  should  sometimes 
distrust  our  eyes,  and  learn  to  make  a  proper  use  of 
them  !  Do  you  not  remember  when  they  took  down 
the  vane  from  the  church-steeple  last  year,  you  were 
very  much  astonished  to  find  it  as  long  as  your  arm, 
when  vou  had  thought  before  that  it  was  not  larger 
than  your  hand  ? 

Little-John.  True.  I  remember  too  that  you  told 
me 'that  the  vane  looked  small  on  the  top  of  the  steeple, 
because  all  distant  objects  appeared  smaller  in  the  dis- 
tance than  when  close  to  us. 

Tom.  Well,  then,  do  you  not  think  that  the  sun  ap- 
pears smaller  to  you  than  it  really  is  ? 

Little-John.  Oh,  yes  ;  I  can  imagine  that  it  may  be 
as  wide  as  a  great  wagon- wheel. 

Tom.  As  you  imagine  the  sun  to  be  wide,  you  no 
doubt  think  it  is  flat  ? 

Little- John.  Yes,  certainly. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  167 


Tom.  Now,  you  are  doubly  mistaken.  In  the  first 
place,  so  far  from  being  flat,  the  sun  is  an  enormous 
globe  that  gives  out  on  every  side  heat  and  light,  and 
this  globe  is  of  such  dimensions  that  you  will  find  it 
difficult  to  conceive. 

Little-John.  Is  it  as  large  as  the  earth  ? 

Tom.  The  sun  is  fourteen  hundred  thousand  times 
larger  than  the  earth.  The  difference  in  size  between 
the  earth  and  sun  is  as  great  as  between  the  head  of  a 
pin  and  your  head. 

Little-John.  Good  heaven  !  I  never  would  have  im- 
agined it.  The  sun  must  be  very  far  off  to  appear  so 
small. 

Tom.  Certainly.  To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  dis- 
tance, it  would  take  a  carriage,  travelling  night  and 
day,  without  stopping,  at  the  rate  of  nine  miles  an  hour, 
fourteen  hundred  and  fifty  years  to  go  from  here  to 
the  sun. 

Little-John.  That  is  wonderful,  Uncle  Tom  ;  but 
there  is  something  still  more  astonishing  :  it  is,  that  we 
should  feel  the  heat  of  the  sun  at  such  an  immense  dis- 
tance. 

Tom.  You  may  well  admire  such  a  wonder ;  but  it 
is  not  enough  that  you  should  be  astonished— these 
things  should  lead  you  to  think  of  the  majesty  and  the 
power  of  God,  the  author  of  these  great  works.  See, 
with  what  wisdom  and  kindness  he  has  arranged  every 
thins;  for  our  benefit.  Nearer  than  he  is,  the  sun  would 
burn  us ;  farther  off,  the  earth  would  be  too  cold  to  be 


168  LITTLE-JOHN. 


inhabited.  The  same  effects  would  occur  if,  remain- 
ing where  it  is,  it  were  lamer  or  smaller.  The  two 
motions  of  the  earth  are  not  the  less  indispensable  to 
our  existence:  if  instead  of  turning  on  itself  to  expose 
all  its  parts  to  the  sun  in  succession,  the  earth  were  to 
stop  and  present  always  the  same  side  to  the  light,  that 
side  would  soon  become  arid  and  dry,  whereas  the 
other,  always  plunged  in  darkness,  would  remain  fro- 
zen. Now  suppose  the  earth  to  continue  turning  on 
itself  without  going  around  the  sun,  the  consequence 
would  be  that  there  would  be  no  change  in  the  sea- 
sons :  the  summer  would  be  eternal  in  one  place  and 
winter  in  another.  But,  thanks  to  the  laws  which  a 
good  God  has  made,  day  and  night,  winter  and  sum- 
mer, regularly  succeed  each  other,  favoring  the  growth 
of  animals  and  plants,  and  furnishing  to  ourselves  the 
proper  degree  of  heat  and  cold,  without  which  we 
should  not  be  able  to  live.  Thus  it  is  that  with  our 
knowledge  increases  our  power  of  appreciating  all  the 
wonders  that  an  all-powerful  God  has  wrought  for  our 
benefit. 

Little-John,  much  struck  at  what  old  Tom  had  told 
him,  said  his  prayers  that  night  with  more  fervor  than 
usual ;  and  it  did  indeed  appear  to  him,  that  the  pleas- 
ure he  found  in  praying  to,  and  worshipping  God, 
increased  with  his  knowledge. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  169 


CHAPTER  XLI. 
THE  STORM. 

One  Sunday,  after  going  to  church  as  usual,  Louisa 
and  Little-John  took  a  long  walk  to  a  distant  stone- 
quarry.  While  they  were  amusing  themselves  with 
looking  at  the  enormous  masses  of  granite  that  com- 
posed an  entire  hill,  and  at  the  holes  which  had  been 
drilled  in  them  for  blasting,  they  did  not  perceive,  at 
first,  that  heavy  black  clouds  were  rising  in  the  west, 
portending  a  high  wind.  Louisa  was  the  first  to  no- 
tice it.  Lifting  her  eyes,  she  said:  "  Do  look,  John, 
how  black  the  sky  is :  we  are  likely  to  get  wet  before 
we  can  reach  home ;  it  seems  to  me  that  I  can  hear 
the  thunder." 

"  That  is  a  fact,"  said  Little- John,  "  it  is  thundering 
already ;  let  us  make  haste."  And  they  both  set  out 
at  their  best  speed. 

"  Come,  come,  Louisa,  let  us  be  in  a  hurry ;  how 
anxious  mother  will  be  if  we  do  not  get  in  before  the 
rain  !  I  do  not  mind  getting  wet ;  but  I  would  not,  on 
any  account,  cause  any  anxiety  to  our  dear  mother." 
Louisa  clung  to  Little-John's  arm,  and  they  hurried 
along,  all  out  of  breath.  They  had  yet  a  wide  field 
to  cross,  to  get  to  the  village,  when  large  drops  of 
rain  commenced  falling,  vivid  flashes  of  lightning  suc- 
ceeded each  other  in  rapid  succession,  the  thunder 

15 


170  LITTLE-JOUX. 


grew  louder  and  louder,  and  suddenly,  down  came 
the  rain  in  torrents. 

"  Oh,  heaven !"  said  Louisa,  "  what  will  become  of 
us!" — and,  holding  each  other  by  the  hand,  they 
dashed  off,  at  their  utmost  speed,  towards  a  large  tree 
that  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  field,  hoping  to  find  shel- 
ter beneath  its  branches.  They  found  under  it  a  bad 
little  boy  from  the  village,  who  had  taken  refuge  there 
with  two  cowts  which  he  was  driving  in  from  pasture. 
Meanwhile  the  storm  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
became  at  each  moment  more  terrible.  The  flashing 
lightning  and  roaring  thunder  frightened  Louisa,  and 
she  wTas  all  in  a  tremor.  "John,"  said  she,  "I  am 
very  much  frightened ;  let  us  pray  to  our  heavenly 
Father  to  take  pity  on  us." 

"  I  am  afraid,"  replied  Little-John  ;  "  that  little  boy 
would  tell  them  all  in  school,  and  they  would  laugh 
at  me." 

"What!  John,"  said  Louisa,  "have  you  so  little 
heart  as  to  let  the  fear  of  a  laugh  prevent  you  from 
doing  what  is  right?  If  you  will  not  join  me,  I  shall 
pray  by  myself." 

Little-John,  overcoming  his  false  shame,  knelt  down 
beside  his  sister  and  prayed.  In  fact,  the  little  boy  did 
laugh  and  make  fun  of  them.  "  Do  you  think,"  said 
he,  "  that  because  you  have  prayed,  the  thunder  will 
stop  short  ?" 

Louisa  and  John  let  him  talk  on  without  notice. 
When  they  had  done  their  prayer,  they  perceived  that 


LITTLE-JOHN.  171 


the  water  was  now  beating  through  the  leaves,  and 
that  the  tree  no  longer  afforded  them  shelter.  As  they 
were  not  very  far  from  home,  and  as  they  preferred 
getting  wet  to  giving  any  further  uneasiness  to  their 
mother,  they  set  out,  and  ran  for  the  cottage. 

"  It  was  worth  while  to  pray  to  God  to  get  wetter 
than  I  am,"  said  the  little  boy  as  he  saw  them  set  out. 
But  Louisa  and  John  had  scarcely  got  thirty  yards  from 
the  tree,  when  they  were  nearly  stunned  by  a  tremen- 
dous clap  of  thunder.  They  turned  and  saw,  with 
affright,  that  the  tree  was  shivered.  Not  seeing  the  lit- 
tle boy,  they  ran  to  call  him,  and  found  him  stretched 
lifeless  upon  the  ground,  stricken  by  lightning,  together 
with  his  two  cows.  At  first  they  could  not  believe 
that  he  was  dead ;  they  called  him,  pulled  his  clothes, 
and  shook  him  ;  but  seeing  that  he  did  not  answer  or 
move,  that  his  eyes  were  fixed  and  glassy,  and  that  his 
half-open  mouth  was  breathless,  they  fled  away  in 
affright,  and  were  soon  in  their  mother's  arms. 

For  more  than  an  hour,  this  good  old  woman  had 
been  a  prey  to  the  greatest  anxiety,— row  looking  out 
at  the  door  to  see  if  her  darlings  were  coming — now 
kindling  a  fire,  and  getting  dry  clothes  ready  for 
them. 

"  God  took  pity  on  us,  and  nothing  happened  to  us," 
said  the  two  children,  throwing  their  arms  around  her 
neck.  They  were  so  much  moved  by  the  rapidity  of 
their  course,  the  roar  of  the  tempest,  and,  above  alls 
by  the  death  of  the  little  boy,  that  they  could  not  say 


172  LITTLE-JOHN. 


another  word,  and  commenced  crying.  While  Mar- 
garet was  shifting  their  clothes,  making  them  drink 
some  hot  tea,  and  bestowing  on  them  all  the  tender 
cares  of  a  mother,  Louisa,  somewhat  recovered  from 
her  fright,  commenced  relating  all  that  had  occurred ; 
and  when  she  came  to  the  terrible  stroke  of  thun- 
der— 

"  Oh,  my  God !"  cried  Margaret,  looking  up  and 
clasping  her  hands,  "I  thank  thee  for  saving  my  chil- 
dren! what  would  have  become  of  me  hadst  thou  taken 
them  away  !"  and  the  big  tears  rolled  down  her  cheeks. 
"  Do  you  see  now,  Little-John,"  said  she  afterwards, 
"  what  it  is  not  to  know  God  and  have  faith  in  him  ? 
Howr  fortunate  you  were  to  have  your  sister  by  you, 
to  give  you  courage  to  pray,  notwithstanding  the  false 
shame  that  withheld  you  !  Perhaps  God  would  have 
punished  you  as  he  did  that  miserable  child,  if  you  had 
been  weak  enough  to  be  ashamed  of  your  religion. 
Always  follow  your  sister's  advice,  and  be  thankful  to 
Heaven  for  giving  you  such  a  one.  Promise  me, 
John,  that  when  God  shall  have  taken  me  from  this 
world,  you  will  always  consult  Louisa,  and  that  you 
will  never  undertake  any  thing  of  importance  without 
her  advice.  Your  sister  may  supply  the  place  of  a 
mother  when  I  am  gone." 

Little-John  kissed  Margaret,  and  then  threw  his 
arms  around  Louisa's  neck. 

"  I  love  and  bless  you,  my  dear  children,"  said  Mar- 
garet, on  seeing  them  thus  in  each  other's  arms ;  "  you 


LITTLE-JOHN.  173 


are  the  consolation  of  my  old  age.  May  you  always 
love  one  another :  thus  you  will  always  be  good  and 
always  happy." 


CHAPTER  XLIL 
THE  THUNDER. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  thunder  had  passed  away. 
Old  Tom  came,  as  was  his  habit,  to  spend  the  Sunday 
evening  with  Margaret.  He  had  hardly  taken  a  seat, 
before  the  children  related  to  him  all  that  had  hap- 
pened. He  listened  patiently  to  the  whole  story;  and 
when  they  had  done,  he  told  them  that  he  knew  all 
about  it.  He  had  seen  the  children  in  the  field,  and 
was  going  out  to  bring  them  in  when  the  lightning  fell 
upon  the  tree.  After  trying  in  vain  to  restore  anima- 
tion to  the  unfortunate  boy,  he  returned  sorrowful, 
leaving  the  body  in  the  hands  cf  the  parents,  who, 
hearing  of  their  misfortune,  had  hastened  to  the  spot, 
and  were  weeping  over  their  dead  child. 

"  Little- John,"  said  Uncle  Tom,  after  a  moment  of 
silence,  "if  ever  you  are  caught  in  a  thunder-storm, 
avoid,  of  all  things,  a  tall  tree  ;  for,  at  such  a  time  to 
seek  shelter  beneath  one,  is  highly  dangerous." 

Little-John.  Why  is  there  more  danger  beneath  a 
tree  than  elsewhere,  Uncle  Tom  ? 

Tom.  I  will  do  my  best  to  explain  it  to  you,  though 
15* 


174  LITTLE-JOHN. 


it  is  rather  difficult,  You  must  know  that  the  liMrt- 
ning,  together  with  the  noise  called  thunder,  are  pro- 
duced by  electricity.  Electricity,  when  at  rest,  is  a 
thing  that  can  be  neither  seen,  nor  touched,  nor  weigh- 
ed ;  but  when  in  motion,  it  produces  such  effects  that 
it  is  impossible  not  to  recognise  its  existence. 

Little-John.  That  is  very  astonishing.  Are  there 
things  that  can  be  neither  seen  nor  touched  ? 

Tom.  You  know  we  cannot  see  the  air  we  breathe. 
So  it  is  with  heat ;  we  cannot  see  it,  and  it  weighs 
nothing ;  for  a  piece  of  hot  iron  is  not  heavier  than  a 
cold  one.  You  may  see  the  light,  but  you  cannot 
touch  it  ;  and  the  existence  of  electricity  is  only  per- 
ceptible when  it  is  in  motion. 

Little-John.  Well,  now  I  understand. 

Tom.  There  are  two  kinds  of  electricity  that  always 
seek  to  unite  themselves,  and  it  is  only  to  do  this  that 
they  put  themselves  in  motion  ;  so  that  after  they  are 
united,  they  are  no  longer  visible.  But  different  causes 
are  constantly  separating  them  ;  so  that  it  may  often 
happen  that  one  cloud  contains  one  kind,  and  another, 
the  other.  Then,  when  these  two  clouds  approach 
near  enough  to  each  other,  the  two  kinds  of  electricity 
will  dart  upon  each  other,  tracing  in  the  air  a  line  of 
fire.  This  fire  is  called  lightning,  and  in  darting 
through  the  air,  this  last  is  violently  agitated,  and  pro- 
duces the  noise  we  call  thunder. 

Little-John.  What !  Uncle  Tom,  the  loud  noise  we 
hear  comes  from  the  agitation  of  the  air  ? 


LITTLE-JOHN.  175 


Tom.  Just  as  all  other  sounds  do.  When  we  draw 
the  bow  of  a  violin  across  the  strings,  it  gives  them  a 
rapid  motion  of  going  and  coming,  which  communi- 
cates itself  to  the  air  ;  and  when  the  air,  thus  agitated, 
strikes  our  ears,  it  gives  us  the  sensation  of  sound.  So 
it  is  when  we  ring  a  bell ;  the  blows  of  the  clapper 
cause  it  to  vibrate,  and  the  vibration  is  transmitted  to  a 
distance  by  the  air,  just  as  the  undulations  produced 
by  the  fall  of  a  stone  in  water  are  spread  to  a  distance, 
in  circles,  on  the  surface.  The  sound  of  the  human 
voice,  too,  is  only  produced  by  the  motion  that  we 
know  how  to  communicate  to  the  air  in  expelling  it 
from  our  lungs. 

Little-John.  There  is  another  thing  that  I  did  not 
know.  Well,  then,  Uncle  Tom,  lightning  is  the  elec- 
tricity of  one  cloud  which  throws  itself  upon  that  of 
another  cloud,  and  the  thunder  is  the  noise  of  the  air 
displaced  and  set  in  motion  by  the  act. 

Tom.  Very  well.  It  may  also  happen,  that  the 
electricity  of  a  cloud,  instead  of  throwing  itself  upon 
that  of  another  cloud,  darts  upon  that  of  the  earth ; 
then  we  say  that  the  lightning  fell. 

Little-John.  So,  when  the  lightning  strikes  any  thing, 
it  is  the  electricity  of  a  cloud,  which  precipitates  itself 
upon  that  of  the  earth,  to  unite  with  it. 

Tom.  Precisely  ;  you  understand  it  now  very  well. 
The  impetuosity  of  electricity  is  such,  that  when  it 
comes  in  contact  with  a  body  in  its  passage,  a  steeple, 
for  instance,  it  shakes,  and  often  overturns  it :  if  it  is  a 


176  LITTLE-JOHN. 


man  or  an  animal,  it  kills,  and  if  a  tree,  it  shatters  it. 
And  as,  when  the  two  electricities  unite,  a  powerful 
heat  is  produced,  combustible  materials  are  often  set 
on  fire  by  it.  It  was  to  protect  us  from  the  terrible 
effects  of  electricity,  that  the  great  Franklin,  our  coun- 
tryman, invented  lightning-rods.  A  lightning-rod  is  a 
long  rod  of  pointed  iron,  placed  upon  the  highest  part 
of  a  house.  Attached  to  this  rod  are  others,  which  de- 
scend to  the  earth.  Electricity  runs  with  the  greatest 
facility  through  the  metal,  and  escapes  freely  and  easi- 
ly by  the  sharp  points.  When,  then,  it  happens  that 
a  cloud,  charged  with  electricity,  passes  over  a  light- 
ning-rod, the  electricity  ascends  from  the  earth,  by  the 
rod,  to  its  points;  thence  it  precipitates  itself  rapidly 
upon  that  of  the  cloud,  and  unites  with  it,  without 
lightning,  without  noise,  and  consequently,  without 
danger. 

Little-John.  Now,  Uncle  Tom,  explain  why  we 
should  not  go  under  a  tree  in  a  storm. 

Tom.  You  will  easily  understand  it,  my  boy.  A  tall 
tree,  standing  by  itself  in  a  plain,  being  the  nearest 
point  to  the  clouds,  it  is  upon  it  that  the  electricity 
would  be  most  apt  to  throw  itself ;  and  once  at  its  foot, 
it  would  dart  off  upon  the  men  or  animals  that  hap- 
pened to  be  near,  because  it  can  escape  more  readily 
through  their  bodies  than  through  wood.  Your  danger 
to-day  was  so  much  the  greater,  from  the  fact  of  the 
tree  being  wet  with  rain,  as  it  was  a  still  better  con- 
ductor of  electricity  to  where  you  wrere.     You  must 


LITTLE-JOHN.  177 


have  observed  that  it  was  only  after  the  rain  had  pen- 
etrated the  top  of  the  tree,  that  your  poor  little  com- 
panion was  killed. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 
THE  CONFLAGRATION. 

One  night,  after  he  had  gone  to  bed  and  was  asleep, 
Little-John  was  awakened  by  a  distant  noise.  The 
sounds  were  distant  and  confused,  but  they  made  him 
uneasy.  Listening  attentively,  the  noise  seemed  to 
increase  and  come  nearer  ;  soon  he  recognised  dis- 
tinctly the  voices  of  men,  and  finally,  loud  cries  of  fire. 
He  threw  himself  out  of  bed,  ran  to  the  window,  push- 
ed open  the  blinds,  and  saw  the  red  glare  of  fire  in  the 
sky,  and  all  the  houses  in  the  village  lighted  up  by  the 
flames.  In  an  instant  he  was  dressed  and  off.  "  Shall 
I  go  for  Uncle  Tom  ?"  thought  he  :  "  no  ;  he  is  there 
long  ao;o/'  and  commenced  running  as  hard  as  he 
could  towards  the  fire. 

It  was  a  horrible  sight.  The  imprudence  of  a  child 
had  set  fire  to  a  bed-curtain  ;  the  flame  spread,  and 
the  whole  house  was  soon  in  a  blaze.  A  dense  smoke, 
filled  with  sparks,  was  rolling  up  towards  the  sky  and 
spreading  out  in  dark  clouds.  A  violent  wind  fanned 
the  flames,  and  carried  into  the  air  burning  fragments, 


178  LrTTLE-JOHN. 


that  fell  in  a  shower  of  fire.  Happily,  the  wind  blow- 
ing from  the  village,  the  fire  did  not  spread.  Little- 
John's  heart  was  moved  at  the  sight.  The  noise  of 
the  wind,  the  roaring  of  the  fire,  the  lowing  of  the  cat- 
tle that  they  drove  with  difficulty  from  the  stables, 
and,  above  all,  the  desolation  of  the  farmer  and  his 
family,  excited  him  to  such  a  degree,  that  he  was  about 
to  cry,  when  he  heard  a  well-known  voice  : 

"  Little- John,  I  have  been  expecting  you — you  are 
late.  Quick,  now,  to  work !  and  let  people  see  that 
old  Tom  trained  you." 

It  was,  indeed,  the  old  sailor,  who,  arriving  at  the 
first  alarm,  cool  and  collected  in  the  midst  of  danger, 
was  directing  the  efforts  of  the  crowd,  and  setting  an 
example  of  activity  and  courage.  While  desiring  that 
John  should  lend  a  helping  hand,  he  loved  him  too 
much  to  allow  him  to  expose  himself,  and  ordered  him 
to  pile  up  the  furniture  that  had  been  thrown  out. 
John  was  working  away  with  all  his  might,  when  he 
saw  a  poor  woman,  wild  with  despair,  pointing  to  a 
garret  window,  and  shrieking  for  her  child  that  had 
been  left  there.  Little-John,  filled  with  compassion, 
forgets  the  danger  ;  he  rushes  to  the  door,  ascends  the 
burning  staircase,  and  reaches  the  room  that  contained 
the  child.  Tom  saw  him  enter,  followed,  and  called  him. 
"  What  are  you  about,  John  ?  Come  back." 
"  Wait,  Uncle  Tom,  I  am  wrapping  him  up." 
"  What  is  it  you  are  wrapping  ?  Come  along,  you 
have  not  a  moment  to  lose." 


LITTLE-JOHN.  179 


"  See  here,  Uncle  Tom,  it  is  a  fine  baby,  but 
very  heavy.  How  fortunate  that  you  are  here !  I 
should  never  have  been  able  to  carry  it  off;  and  now 
the  staircase  has  fallen,  and  I  do  not  know  how  to  get 
down." 

"  This  way,"  said  Tom.  "  Walk  along  on  that  beam : 
I  will  hand  you  the  child  ;  do  you  descend  the  ladder, 
and  I  will  follow." 

"  No,  no,  uncle.  How  can  I  get  down  the  ladder  with 
that  heavy  child  ?  Do  you  go  first ;  I  will  hand  it  to 
you,  and  then  manage  to  get  out  alone."  Tom  did  not 
stop  to  talk,  but  got  upon  the  ladder ;  he  had  descended 
but  a  few  feet,  when  a  mass  of  flame  burst  from  a 
window  nearly  on  a  level  with  him,  scorching  him 
badly,  and  cutting  off  John's  retreat  entirely  from  the 
window  above.  Little-John  retraced  his  steps  quickly. 
He  ran  to  the  stairs,  but  there  was  no  hope  there.  He 
returned,  then,  to  the  room  where  he  found  the  child, 
and  seating  himself  on  the  window-sill,  that  was  at  a 
considerable  elevation,  with  a  hard  pavement  under  it, 
he  cried  for  help.  "  Help  !  Uncle  Tom  !  help !  I  can- 
not find  a  way  out."  Tom,  who  had  just  restored  the 
child  to  its  mother,  runs,  and  sees  the  danger  of  his 
young  friend.  All  the  ladders  were  too  short  to  reach. 
They  had  no  rope,  nor  time  to  get  one,  to  lash  two  of 
them  together.  The  good  old  man  was  in  despair,  and 
the  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks.  For  the  first  time 
in  his  life,  perhaps,  he  had  lost  his  presence  of  mind. 
"  What !  will  no  one  try  to  save  my  boy  ?     Oh !  if  I 


180  LITTLE-JOHN. 


were  only  young  and  strong !  I  will  give  my  cottage 
and  all  I  have  to  save  him !"  But  the  danger  was  so 
evident  that  no  one  replied  to  him.  The  flames  were 
steadily  advancing,  and  John's  danger  became  at  each 
instant  more  imminent.  Suddenly  old  Tom  cried  out, 
"  He  shall  not  perish.  John,  my  child,"  said  he,  "  re- 
commend yourself  to  God,  and  jump."  John  obeyed 
immediately,  and  at  the  moment  the  old  man  rushed 
forward,  caught  him  in  his  arms,  and  fell  to  the  ground, 
stunned  by  the  shock.  Another  instant  and  the  roof 
of  the  house  fell  in. 

John  was  not  hurt  in  the  least,  and  Tom,  though  a 
good  deal  bruised,  not  materially. 

Though  not  seriously  injured,  the  old  sailor  was  no 
longer  in  a  condition  to  give  active  assistance.  Hap- 
pily, too,  the  violence  of  the  fire  had  much  abated, 
and  was  now  under  control.  After  advising  them  to 
stop  up  closely  the  door  and  windows  of  a  cellar,  into 
which  the  fire  had  penetrated,  he  returned  with  John 
to  Margaret's  house. 

The  good  old  woman  had  also  been  awakened  in 
the  night.  She  had  called  Little-John,  to  tell  him  to 
go  to  the  fire  ;  but  he  was  already  gone.  Louisa 
wished  to  run  after  him.  "  No,  my  child,"  said  Mar- 
garet to  her ;  "  if  I  could  walk,  I  would  go  myself; 
but,  as  I  cannot,  do  not  leave  me :  let  us  offer  up  our 
prayers  for  John's  safety."  Since  that  time  they  had 
been  at  their  prayers,  stopping,  now  and  then,  to  listen 
if  the  noise  diminished,  and  looking  through  the  win- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  181 


dow  to  discover  any  signs  of  the  fire  going  out.  At 
last  their  anxiety  was  changed  to  joy,  when  they  saw 
Little-John  return  in  safety.  After  old  Margaret  had 
heard  all  that  had  happened  :  "  Little- John,"  said  she, 
"  you  have  performed  a  good  and  noble  action  ;"  and 
placing  her  hands,  trembling  with  age,  upon  his  head, 
she  looked  up  to  heaven,  and  called  down  its  choicest 
blessings  upon  her  child  ;  and,  then  turning  to  the  old 
sailor,  she  said :  "  And  you,  Tom,  should  be  proud,  for 
you  have  not  only  saved  his  life,  but  you  have  aided 
me  to  sow  in  his  breast  the  seeds  of  virtue  that  are 
now  yielding  such  fair  fruit." 

"  I  once  saved  old  '  Ironsides'  from  running  on  a 
reef,"  said  the  old  man  ;  "  but  the  pride  and  joy  of  that 
day  was  nothing  to  this."  Then,  seizing  John  by  the 
hand,  he  added,  as  he  warmly  pressed  it :  "  From  this 
day,  John,  we  shall  be  friends  and  messmates." 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

WATER. 

Some  days  after,  as  the  cottage  family  were  talking 
of  the  occurrences  at  the  fire,  Little-John  said  to  his 
old  friend  : 

"  Uncle  Tom,  how  is  it  that  they  managed  to  put 
out  the  fire  in  the  cellar,  merely  by  closing  up  the 
door  and  windows." 

16 


182  LITTLE-JOHN. 


Tom.  It  is  very  simple ;  the  fire  was  smothered,  by 
depriving  it  of  air.  Fire  is  nothing  more  than  the  in- 
timate mixture  of  air  and  carbon,  or  charcoal ;  and  it 
is  this  same  mixure  that  produces  heat.  It  is  evident 
that  carbon  without  air  cannot  any  more  make  fire 
than  air  without  carbon.  As  to  the  flame,  it  is  nothing 
more  than  air  heated  to  such  a  degree  as  to  appear  red 
and  luminous. 

Little-John.  But  there  was  no  carbon  in  the  cellar, 
there  was  nothing  but  wood. 

Tom.  But  you  must  know  that  wood  is  nothing 
more  than  carbon  and  water,  and  it  is  the  carbon  that 
burns. 

Little-John.  I  understand  that ;  but  there  is  another 
thing  that  astonishes  me,  Uncle  Tom ;  it  is  that  they 
should  have  found  so  much  water  in  the  brook.  You 
told  me  that  springs  were  supplied  with  water  by 
rain ;  how,  then,  does  it  happen  that  that  spring  is  run- 
ning yet,  when  we  have  not  had  a  drop  of  rain  for 
more  than  two  months? 

Tom.  Because  the  rain,  penetrating  into  the  earth, 
the  mountains,  and  hills,  collecting  there  in  great 
quantities,  and  escaping  but  slowly,  can  feed  for  a  long 
time  a  brook  such  as  the  one  you  speak  of. 

Little-John.  That  may  be  for  a  brook  ;  but  I  cannot 
conceive  a  mountain  to  hold  water  enough  to  supply 
a  large  river. 

Tom.  You  forget,  then,  John,  that  rivers  are  formed 
by  the  union  of  a  number  of  brooks.     If  you  can  con- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  183 


ceive  that  one  mountain  or  hill  may  contain  sufficient 
water  for  one  spring,  you  can  conceive  that  another 
mountain  may  contain  enough  for  another,  and  so  for 
a  third,  a  fourth,  &c. ;  and,  by  uniting  these  brooks, 
you  will  form  the  river  that  puzzles  you.  The  sources 
of  most  large  rivers  are  to  be  found  in  high  mountains, 
the  summits  of  which  are  sometimes  covered  with  per- 
petual snow.  From  their  great  elevation,  the  cold 
there  is  very  great.  The  snow  and  ice  accumulate  in 
vast  quantities,  and,  slowly  melting  during  summer, 
keep  the  rivers  in  a  constant  supply  of  water  from 
their  sources  to  the  sea. 

Little-John.  As  so  many  rivers  empty  into  the  sea, 
why  does  it  not  overflow  and  cover  the  earth  ? 

Tom.  Never  fear  that,  John,  for  the  quantity  of  wa- 
ter reduced  to  vapor  on  the  surface  of  the  ocean  is 
exactly  equal  to  that  which  it  receives  from  all  the 
rivers,  and  all  the  rains  that  fall  into  it.  I  have  al- 
ready explained  to  you  how  the  vapor  is  converted 
into  snow  and  rain  ;  and  it  is  this  change  from  vapor 
to  water,  and  from  water  to  vapor,  that  prevents  the 
rivers  and  springs  from  drying  up. 


184  LITTLE-JOHN. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 
INSECTS. 

Little- John.  I  heard  at  school  the  other  day  that  the 
water  in  the  ocean,  in  the  rivers,  and  even  the  water 
we  drink,  contained  an  immense  number  of  very  small 
animals  that  we  cannot  see,  and  of  which  we  swallow 
great  quantities  without  perceiving  it ;  is  it  true  ? 

Tom.  Nothing  more  so. 

Little- John.  But  since  these  animals  are  so  small 
that  we  cannot  see  them,  how  can  we  know  that  ? 

Tom.  We  must  examine  them  through  a  glass  call- 
ed a  microscope,  which  is  made  to  enable  us  to  see 
very  small  objects  ;  and  then  in  a  single  drop  of  water 
may  be  perceived  hundreds  of  animals  of  different 
sizes,  that  swim,  pursue,  and  devour  each  other ;  just 
as  do  sharks,  whales,  and  other  large  animals.  But 
the  works  of  the  Creator  are  not  less  admirable  in 
their  minutest  forms,  than  in  the  structure  of  the  largest 
animals,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  sun  and  stars. 
There  is  a  whole  race  of  small  animals  called  insects, 
whose  structure  and  instincts  form  an  inexhaustible 
source  of  admiration  to  those  who  have  leisure  to 
study  them.  All  the  different  butterflies,  sometimes 
so  brilliant  and  beautiful,  that  flutter  from  flower 
to  flower,  were  at  one  time  hideous  creeping  cater- 
pillars. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  185 


Little-John.  I  have  often  heard  so,  but  cannot  un- 
derstand how  the  change  is  effected. 

Tom.  Nor  I  either ;  neither  can  I  understand  how 
an  egg,  containing  nothing  but  the  yolk  and  the  white, 
is  transformed  into  a  chicken,  covered  with  down, 
jumping  in  the  sun,  and  swallowing  grain ;  but  you 
may  perceive,  with  a  little  attention  and  patience,  that 
the  caterpillar,  attaining  a  certain  size,  spins  for  itself 
a  covering  with  a  silky  substance  drawn  from  its  mouth, 
and  that  it  remains  in  this  covering  a  certain  time  with- 
out eating,  and  almost  without  motion.  It  is  then  a 
chrysalis;  at  length  the  dried  skin  of  the  chrysalis 
opens,  the  butterfly  comes  out,  weakens  the  silky  cov- 
ering called  a  cocoon,  by  wetting  it,  and  bursts  forth. 

Little-John.  How  admirable  !  and  what  becomes  of 
the  butterfly  ? 

Tom.  It  lives  generally  but  a  few  days  ;  only  long 
enough  to  enable  it  to  deposite  a  number  of  eggs, 
which,  guided  by  God's  wisdom,  it  places  in  situations 
most  suitable  for  protection,  and  where  the  young  cat- 
erpillars, when  they  come  out  in  the  following  spring, 
can  find  an  abundance  of  food. 

Little-John.  Hereafter  I  shall  not  look  upon  cater- 
pillars with  disgust ;  heretofore  I  have  been  afraid  to 
touch  them.  At  the  first  opportunity,  now,  I  will  feed 
a  few  to  find  out  what  sort  of  butterflies  they  will 
make. 

Tom.  Louisa  ought  to  have  made  you  feed  silk- 
worms.    It  seems  to  me  that  we  have  already  had  a 

16* 


186  LITTLE-JOIIX, 


talk  about  them.  It  is  a  large  caterpillar,  either  white 
or  black,  that  feeds  upon  the  leaves  of  the  mulberry. 
When  first  hatched  it  is  very  small ;  it  increases  rap- 
idly in  size,  and  changes  its  skin  several  times ;  and 
when  it  becomes  of  the  length  and  size  of  your  finger, 
it  withdraws  to  a  corner  to  make  its  cocoon.  This 
cocoon  is  formed  of  a  single  thread  of  silk,  which,  be- 
ing of  a  gummy  nature  when  fresh,  makes  it  stick  to- 
gether like  felt.  The  cocoons,  about  the  size  of  pigeons' 
eggs,  are  thrown  into  warm  water,  which  dissolves  the 
gum,  and  the  thread  is  then  easily  wound  off  by  a  reel, 
ft  is  then  readily  manufactured  into  a  vast  variety  of 
articles. 

Little-John.  Hats  are  made  of  it. 

Louisa.  And  ribbons. 

Tom.  Yes,  my  children. 

Little-John.  How  singular  that  the  industry  of  the 
caterpillar  should  be  turned  to  such  good  account  ! 

Tom.  Silkworms  are  neither  industrious  nor  skilful ; 
they  obey  their  instinct,  that  is  the  will  of  God :  like 
bees,  whose  labors  are  much  more  complicated,  and 
seem  to  require  a  greater  degree  of  intelligence. 

Little- John.  I  know  that  they  make  honey;  but 
what  do  they  do  that  is  so  difficult  ? 

Tom.  Under  the  guidance  of  a  female  bee,  their 
queen,  they  establish  themselves  in  the  hollow  of  a 
tree,  or  in  a  hive  prepared  for  the  purpose.  They 
commence  by  stopping  every  crack  and  crevice  with 
a  species  of  glue,  that  they  know  how  to  furnish  when 


LITTLE-JOHN.  187 


necessary  ;  they  only  leave  a  very  small  entrance. 
Some  go  to  a  distance  to  gather  the  dust  and  honey 
from  the  flowers.  This  dust  they  carry  upon  their 
thighs,  and  return  loaded  with  it.  On  their  arrival 
others  unload  them,  and  with  this  substance  make  the 
wax,  of  which  their  cells  are  built.  These  cells  are 
formed  with  the  utmost  regularity,  and  in  such  a  way 
as  not  to  lose  the  least  room.  These  cells  are  then 
filled  with  honey  for  winter  consumption,  and  closely 
sealed  with  wax.  Other  cells  are  destined  each  to 
receive  an  egg,  deposited  there  by  the  queen  only  ; 
their  number  amounts  to  about  twelve  thousand,  all 
deposited  within  three  weeks.  From  each  egg  a  small 
worm,  without  legs,  soon  issues.  These  are  regularly 
and  carefully  fed  by  a  certain  portion  of  the  bees  for 
five  days  :  their  cells  are  then  closed  with  wax.  Each 
grub  then  spins  itself  a  cocoon,  and  soon  issues  forth 
a  bee,  and  goes  immediately  to  work  like  the  others. 
When  among  this  multitude  of  young  bees  a  queen  is 
hatched,  a  great  tumult  at  once  occurs  in  the  hive. 
The  old  queen  attempts  at  first  to  kill  the  new  one  : 
the  young  bees  throw  themselves  in  crowds  between 
the  two ;  then  the  old  queen  abandons  the  hive,  ac- 
companied by  most  of  the  old  bees,  and  seeks  an  es- 
tablishment elsewhere.  This  is  what  is  called  swarm- 
ing. They  all  go  and  suspend  themselves  around  the 
queen,  generally  to  the  limb  of  a  tree.  They  are  then 
swept  into  a  new  hive,  where  they  recommence  their 
labors.    If  by  chance  several  queens  should  be  hatched, 


188  LITTLE-JOHN. 


they  then  commence  a  general  combat,  which  lasts 
until  there  is  but  one  surviving,  for  there  is  never  more 
than  one  queen  in  the  same  hive. 

Ants  also  live  in  a  social  state,  and  work  with  won- 
derful activity  in  excavating  their  subterraneous  dwell- 
ings, in  accumulating  food,  in  protecting  their  eggs, 
their  worms,  and  their  chrysalids.  When  one  of  them 
meets  with  an  animal  too  large  to  be  dragged  along  by 
its  individual  strength,  it  seeks  assistance  from  its  com- 
panions, and  a  hundred  of  them  may  sometimes  be 
seen  dragging  a  dead  worm  or  bug  to  the  common 
storehouse.  If  one  of  them  should  make  the  lucky 
discovery  of  a  ripe  apple  or  peach,  it  runs  at  once  for 
its  comrades,  and  they  may  be  seen  returning  in  long 
files.  Should  one  of  them  be  accidentally  wounded 
or  killed,  it  is  immediately  taken  home.  Should  their 
habitation  be  disturbed,  they  immediately  rush  in 
multitudes  to  the  point  attacked,  and  do  battle  bravely 
in  the  common  cause.  The  fight  over,  the  survivors 
go  to  work  immediately  to  repair  damages  with  the 
most  indefatigable  perseverance.  Should  they  be  too 
frequently  deranged,  they  go  elsewhere  and  dig  a  new 
dwelling,  and  when  it  is  ready,  they  move  into  it,  car- 
rying with  them  all  that  are  too  weak  or  incapable  of 
marching.  Sometimes,  too,  neighboring  ant-hills  make 
war  on  each  other,  the  two  sides  displaying  as  much 
skill  as  courage ;  and  the  struggle,  after  having  lasted 
several  days,  terminates  in  the  entire  destruction  of 
one  of  the  two  nations. 


LITTLE-JOHN.  189 


The  instincts  of  spiders  are  not  less  admirable  ;  you 
have  no  doubt  often  observed  their  beautiful  star- 
shaped  nets.  The  spider  places  himself  in  the  centre, 
whence  the  different  threads  diverge  ;  he  is  thus  ena- 
bled to  feel  immediately  the  slightest  shock  given  to 
the  net  by  a  passing  fly,  and  rush  forth  and  seize  the 
unlucky  intruder.  If  they  grapple  with  an  insect  that 
is  too  strong  for  them,  or  one  of  their  own  species,  (for 
they  devour  each  other,)  they  endeavor  to  hamper  and 
bind  him  with  their  threads  while  they  suck  his  blood. 
Another  species  digs  itself  a  dwelling  in  the  ground, 
well  shaped,  lined  with  silk,  and  with  a  regular  lid  to 
the  top.  Another  kind  travel  about  with  a  bag  upon 
their  backs  containing  their  eggs,  and  they  will  some- 
times allow  themselves  to  be  killed  rather  than  aban- 
don it. 

Little-John.  How  wonderful !  I  had  not  the  least 
idea  that  insects  were  so  curious. 

Tom.  You  have  never  heard,  I  suppose,  of  the  lion- 
ant  ? 

Little- John.  No  ;  I  never  saw  one. 

Tom.  They  feed  upon  common  ants,  flies,  small 
grasshoppers,  and  other  active  insects ;  but  as  they 
themselves  are  clumsy  and  inactive,  they  would  never 
be  able  to  catch  one  in  the  ordinary  way.  They  dig 
a  hole  in  fine  sand,  in  the  form  of  a  steep  funnel :  to 
do  this,  they  sink  themselves  until  they  are  covered 
with  sand,  and  then  by  a  peculiar  motion  of  the  back, 
throw  out  to  some  distance  the  sand  that  is  above 


190  LITTLE-JOHN. 


them ;  and  so,  throwing  a  little  at  a  time,  they  suc- 
ceed in  digging  a  funnel-shaped  hole,  an  inch  or  more 
deep.  At  the  bottom  they  bury  themselves,  all  but 
their  pincer-shaped  mouths,  and  wait  patiently  for  their 
prey.  As  soon  as  an  ant  or  other  small  insect  appears 
on  the  edge  of  the  hole,  they  throw  upon  it  a  shower 
of  sand,  which  causes  it  to  slip  and  fall  to  the  bottom, 
where  it  is  seized,  dragged  beneath  the  surface,  and 
devoured. 

Little-John.  Oh  !  Uncle  Tom,  how  I  should  like  al- 
ways to  hear  of  such  strange  things  ! 

Tom.  You  would  experience  yet  more  pleasure,  my 
boy,  in  acquiring  all  this  information  by  yourself,  which 
you  may  readily  do  with  a  little  perseverance  and  pa- 
tience. You  will  thus  at  each  step  discover  wonders 
that  will  speak  to  you,  like  the  sun  and  the  stars,  of 
God's  infinite  power  and  wisdom. 

Little-John.  But  how  can  one  learn  all  these  things 
all  alone  ? 

Tom.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  have  a  firm  will, 
and  to  take  the  trouble.  No  doubt  you  must  profit  as 
much  as  you  can  by  the  lessons  and  advice  of  others  ; 
but  even  should  you  receive  no  lessons,  it  would  be 
no  reason  for  remaining  in  ignorance  all  your  life. 
That  which  we  acquire  by  our  own  efforts  we  always 
know  best,  and  there  is  infinitely  more  enjoyment  in 
the  acquisition.  Persuade  yourself,  my  dear  boy,  that 
with  a  firm  determination  and  obstinate  industry,  a 
resolute  man  may  arrive  at  every  thing.     We  have 


LITTLE-JOHN.  191 


time  enough,  and  I  will  tell  you  the  history  of  a  poor 
boy,  who  attained  great  eminence,  and  did  a  great 
deal  of  good  to  his  country  and  to  mankind,  and  who 
achieved  greatness  entirely  through  his  own  exertions. 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 
HISTORY   OF   FRANKLIN. 


"  You  remember  when  we  were  talking  about  elec- 
tricity, I  told  you  that  the  lightning-rod,  that  saved  so 
many  lives,  was  invented  by  Franklin.     Well,  Frank- 


192  LITTLE-JOHN. 


lin  was  born  a  great  many  years  ago,  in  the  year  1706, 
in  Boston.  While  he  was  yet  a  very  small  boy,  his 
parents  thought  that  he  showed  more  talents  than  chil- 
dren usually  possess  at  his  age,  and  determined  to  give 
him  a  first-rate  education,  in  order  that  he  might  be- 
come a  clergyman.  Unfortunately  his  parents  were 
poor,  and  at  the  end  of  a  year  they  found  the  expense 
of  educating  their  son  too  heavy  for  them,  and  they 
had  to  forego  their  cherished  wish  of  seeing  him  one 
day  an  eminent  preacher.  The  boy  was  brought  home, 
and  put  to  his  father's  trade,  (that  of  a  tallow-chan- 
dler;) but  melting  tallow  and  cutting  candlewicks  suit- 
ed neither  his  health  nor  his  mind,  and  becoming  dis- 
satisfied he  determined  to  go  to  sea.  This  design  his 
parents  strongly  opposed,  as  they  had  already  lost  a 
son  at  sea ;  they  permitted  him,  however,  to  change 
his  occupation,  and  to  choose  one  more  congenial  to 
his  tastes. 

"  His  great  fondness  for  books  induced  him  to  se- 
lect the  business  of  a  printer,  and  accordingly  he  be- 
came an  apprentice  to  his  brother,  who  at  that  time 
printed  a  newspaper  in  Boston.  Franklin,  now  twelve 
years  of  age,  soon  mastered  the  mechanical  part  of  his 
profession.  His  thirst  for  knowledge  growing  upon 
him,  he  employed  every  hour  that  could  be  spared 
from  his  duties  in  gratifying  it.  As  his  mind  expand- 
ed, and  became  stored  with  knowledge,  he  aimed  at 
greater  things :  instead  of  reading  and  printing  the 
works  of  others,  he  was  now  ambitious  to  write  and 


LITTLE-JOHN.  193 


print  works  of  his  own  ;  and  a  few  pieces  that  he  pub- 
lished without  a  name  in  his  brother's  paper,  by  their 
success  encouraged  him  to  persevere.  Franklin's 
brother  was  a  harsh  and  severe  man,  and  used  him  so 
roughly,  that  after  enduring  it  as  long  as  he  could,  he 
resolved  to  leave  him. 

"  He  went  first  to  New  York,  where  failing  to  get 
employment,  he  went  to  Philadelphia.  Here  there 
were  at  that  time  but  two  printing-offices.  He  fortu- 
nately succeeded  in  getting  employment  in  one  of 
them  as  a  compositor.  Here  he  was,  then,  four  hun- 
dred miles  from  home,  but  seventeen  years  of  age, 
and  without  friends  or  acquaintance ;  but  having  by 
his  industry  acquired  the  art  of  a  printer,  he  was 
enabled  to  gain  an  honest  livelihood  in  an  honorable 
way.  In  Philadelphia  he  was  not  long  in  acquiring 
the  good- will  and  confidence  of  all  his  acquaintance. 
In  a  short  time  he  was  induced  to  set  up  a  printing- 
office  of  his  own  ;  and,  as  a  preliminary  step,  he  had  to 
go  to  London,  in  England.  But  here,  too,  deceived  by 
the  representations  of  friends  at  home,  he  met  with  dis- 
appointment, and  found  himself  in  a  foreign  city,  utterly 
penniless.  But  a  strong  mind  bore  him  up  superior  to 
adversity ;  instead  of  giving  himself  up  to  despair,  he 
struggled  manfully  for  an  honest  livelihood,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  employment  as  a  journeyman  printer. 
While  in  England,  he  excited  the  admiration  of  his 
own  countrymen  and  the  English,  by  his  acute  and 
manly  replies  to  the  questions  of  a  browbeating  and 

17 


194  LITTLE- JOHN, 


tyrannical  parliamentary  committee.  After  remaining 
for  some  months  in  Europe,  he  returned  to  Philadel- 
phia, where,  soon  after,  he  made  his  immortal  discov- 
eries in  the  science  of  electricity.  From  this  moment 
he  rose  rapidly  in  reputation ;  his  fame,  no  longer  con- 
fined to  his  own  land,  spread  over  the  earth  as  far  as 
commerce  and  letters  penetrated.  When  came  the 
great  struggle  for  American  independence,  no  man 
contributed  more  than  he  to  the  successful  result. 
He  lived  to  the  patriarchal  age  of  eighty-four,  and 
died  lamented  by  his  countrymen  and  the  civilized 
world." 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 
DEATH  OF   MARGARET. 

Each  day,  Margaret  was  growing  older  and  more 
feeble ;  she  had  already  passed  a  whole  winter  with- 
out being  able  to  work.  Louisa  and  Little-John  had 
watched  over  and  nursed  her  with  the  greatest  care 
and  affection ;  and  they  were  so  fortunate  as  to  earn 
enough  to  support  their  good  old  grandmother  as  she 
had  supported  them  in  their  infancy ;.  and  they  derived 
energy  from  the  thought,  that  they  could  now  return 
to  their  mother  a  part  of  the  care  that  she  had  bestowed 
upon  them.     They  labored  with  zeal ;  and  as  they  did 


LITTLE-JOHN.  195 


more  work  than  others,  and  as  their  work  was  better 
done,  they  were  employed  in  preference,  and  better 
paid. 

Margaret,  touched  by  the  tender  affection  of  her  chil- 
dren, loaded  them  with  blessings.  "  My  life  has  often 
been  very  painful,"  she  would  say — "  I  have  seen  die 
off,  one  after  another,  all  those  that  I  loved,  and  I  have 
shed  many  tears ;  but  God  has  given  me  two  grand- 
children to  soothe  the  decline  of  my  life.  I  have  now 
but  one  thought,  and  it  is  for  your  happiness.  If  I 
often  tell  you  to  be  industrious,  and  to  walk  in  the 
paths  of  honesty  and  virtue,  it  is  because  I  know  that 
they  alone  lead  to  happiness." 

She  employed  all  her  remaining  strength  in  giving 
them  good  advice.  She  would  say  to  John,  "  Do  not 
forget,  my  child,  what  I  have  always  told  you  about 
bad  company;  avoid  the  company  of  the  idle — of 
liars  —  of  those  who  swear  and  are  fond  of  drink,  as 
you  would  the  greatest  evil.  Be  abstemious  in  your 
diet,  frugal  in  your  habits,  and  your  health  and  purse 
will  be  the  better  for  it.  Seek  constantly  to  add  to 
your  knowledge,  and  be  grateful  to  your  teachers. 
Love  and  protect  your  sister.  Be  kind  to  every  one, 
and  be  always  faithful  to  your  God.  Remember  your 
old  grandmother,  who,  when  she  is  gone,  will  not 
cease  to  love  and  to  pray  for  you." 

The  good  old  woman  would  also  say  to  Louisa: 
"  My  daughter,  you  will  be  happy — at  least,  as  happy 
as  any  one  can  be  in  this  world — if  you  follow  the  good 


196  LITTLE-JOHN. 


counsels  that  I  have  given  you.  Let  industry,  order, 
and  cleanliness,  reign  around  you;  be  mild,  patient, 
and  always  ready  to  oblige  ;  be  not  indiscreet ;  speak 
ill  of  no  one ;  never  meddle  in  other  people's  affairs, 
or  in  the  scandal  of  your  neighborhood ;  put  a  watch 
upon  your  tongue,  and  never  open  your  mouth  unless 
it  be  to  say  something  useful  or  obliging.  Pray  often 
to  God ;  for  it  is  from  him  that  strength  and  courage 
come ; — and  in  all  the  actions  of  your  life,  strive  to 
forget  yourself  in  seeking  the  good  of  others." 

One  day  Margaret  having  talked  to  her  children 
longer  than  usual,  she  became  very  much  fatigued. 
She  requested  John  to  draw  her  great  armchair  to  the 
cottage  door,  for  she  could  not  walk.  It  was  towards 
the  close  of  a  summer's  day.  Little- John  placed  the 
armchair  under  an  old  elm  near  the  door.  The  poor 
old  woman  felt  herself  warmed  once  more  by  the  pleas- 
ant rays  of  the  setting  sun.  She  heard  once  more  the 
tinkle  of  the  bells,  and  the  bleating  of  the  flocks  return- 
ing  to  the  fold.  She  listened  to  the  singing  of  the 
birds,  but  it  was  for  the  last  time.  When  night  came, 
John  carried  his  grandmother  into  the  house  :  Louisa 
trimmed  the  lamp,  and  took  up  her  work. 

"  My  daughter,"  said  Margaret,  "  I  should  like  to 
hear  your  sweet  voice  again  ;  sing  me  a  hymn."  And 
Louisa  sang,  though  with  a  heavy  heart ;  for  she  saw 
that  her  grandmother  was  not  well.  When  she  had 
done,  Margaret  wished  her  to  take  the  book  and  read 
the  evening  prayers.     The  good  old  woman,  though 


LITTLE-JOHN.  197 


she  could  not  get  up,  clasped  her  hands,  and  joined  in 
prayer,  without  leaving  her  chair.  After  John  and 
Louisa  had  gotten  up,  she  remained  silent  for  a  long 
time  ;  then  she  sighed,  and  said  :  "  My  children,  I  feel 
myself  going  ;  draw  near,  and  let  me  embrace  you  once 
more  ;  for  I  surely  shall  not  see  to-morrow/'  The 
two  children  threw  themselves  sobbing  at  her  feet. 
Then  she  laid  her  hands  upon  their  heads,  saying  : 
"My  dearest  children,  I  bless  you;  I  thank  you  for 
the  consolation  that  you  have  afforded  me,  and  for  the 
soothing  care  that  you  have  bestowed  upon  my  old  age, 
I  pray  to  God  to  reward,  to  bless,  and  to  keep  you  both 
virtuous  and  good.  Always  love  each  other,  my  dear- 
est chil — "  and  her  hand  fell  upon  Louisa's.  The  two 
children  seized  and  covered  it  with  tears  and  kisses. 
Poor  Margaret  did  not  live  to  see  the  morrow. 

The  whole  village  mourned  for  her.  She  was  buried 
in  the  churchyard,  under  the  old  willow,  in  the  very 
spot  where,  fifteen  years  before,  Louisa  found  Little- 
John. 

17* 


198  LITTLE- JOHN. 


CHAPTER  XLVIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

Louisa  and  John  were  obliged  to  seek  employment 
at  a  neighboring  farmer's.  They  had  much  to  endure, 
for  the  farmer's  wife  had  a  violent  temper.  She  was 
continually  finding  fault,  whipping  her  children  ;  and 
made  her  husband  very  unhappy.  But  she  herself  was 
more  to  be  pitied  than  others,  for  she  had  no  friends. 
Louisa  and  John  saw  how  detestable  a  vice  ill-temper 
was  ;  and  that  those  who  gave  way  to  it  were  a  misery 
to  themselves,  and  a  torment  to  others.  Louisa  re- 
membered what  Margaret  had  told  her  about  gentle- 
ness, which  is  woman's  greatest  charm  ;  and  she  de- 
termined always  to  be  gentle  and  good.  When  the 
farmer's  wife  spoke  to  her  in  anger,  she  took  care,  in 
her  replies,  not  to  increase  her  irritation.  She  remem- 
bered a  saying  of  a  wise  man,  that  she  had  often  heard^ 
her  grandmother  repeat :  "  Avoid  disputes,  and  you  wTill 
cut  the  root  of  many  sins."  She  knew,  however,  how 
to  obey  and  respect  her  masters,  whatever  were  their 
defects  ;  and  when  the  ill  treatment  of  her  mistress 
made  her  heart  sad,  she  went  to  John,  and  they  con- 
doled with  each  other.  They  had,  besides,  good  old 
Uncle  Tom  to  go  to  for  consolation  and  encourage- 
ment. 

When  John  reached  his  twentieth  year,  the  long- 


LITTLE-JOHN.  199 


pending  misunderstanding  between  this  country  and 
England  finally  broke  out  into  open  war.  The  excite- 
ment throughout  the  country  was,  of  course,  intense  ; 
and  the  policy  of  the  war  was  a  constant  subject 
of  discussion  among  all  classes  of  people.  John  took 
the  first  opportunity  to  consult  his  old  friend  Tom 
on  the  subject,  asking  him  how  it  could  be  that  some 
were  for,  and  others  violently  opposed  to  the  war. 
The  old  man  replied  to  him  :  "  My  boy,  it  is  sufficient 
for  you  to  know  that  your  country  is  in  danger,  and 
calls  upon  her  children  for  aid.  War  exists  ;  it  is  too 
late  now  to  ask  why,  or  how.  You,  1  am  sure,  are 
ready  to  shoulder  your  musket  and  march.  We  can 
always  express  our  opinions  of  the  measures  of  the 
government,  through  the  ballot-box,  in  a  way  to  com- 
pel them  to  be  respected.  Those  who  have  the  fewest 
domestic  ties,  have  the  least  excuse  for  remaining  at 
home.  You  are  among  these.  Your  path  is  plain, 
and  you  will  march  in  it,  I  am  sure,  like  a  good  and 
brave  citizen." 

The  next  day  John  had  enlisted  for  five  years. 
Louisa  was  distressed  at  parting  with  him,  but  did  not 
attempt  to  dissuade  him  from  what  he  thought  his  duty* 

John  served  in  the  infantry.  He  had  not  long  joined 
his  regiment,  before  his  fine,  open  countenance,  his 
constant  good-humor,  and  obliging  disposition,  had 
made  friends  for  him  on  all  sides.  It  happened  that 
the  colonel  of  the  regiment  had  occasion  for  a  private 
who  had  some  education.     John  was  recommended. 


200  LITTLE-JOHN. 


It  turned  out  that  the  colonel  was  the  very  gentleman 
that  had  been  thrown  from  his  horse,  and  that  John 
had  carried  the  water  to.  He  struck  John  on  the 
shoulder,  saying  :  "  You  were  a  good  boy,  and  appear 
to  be  a  fine  young  man.  Conduct  yourself  well,  and 
I  will  be  of  service  to  you."  And,  indeed,  John  be- 
haved so  well,  that  he  was  rapidly  promoted,  and  soon 
became  a  sergeant. 

In  the  first  battle  that  John  was  engaged  in,  when 
he  heard  the  rattling  of  the  musketry  in  front  of  him, 
he  felt  his  heart  beat.  He  was  accustomed  to  the  dis- 
charge of  firearms,  but  the  whistling  of  the  balls  made 
him  uneasy.  When,  however,  he  saw  fall  by  his  side 
one  of  his  comrades,  an  old  schoolfellow,  who  had  en- 
listed at  the  same  time  with  himself,  uneasiness  gave 
way  to  anger,  and  he  became  impatient  for  the  signal 
to  charge. 

At  last  the  colonel  gave  the  word.  The  enemy  are 
in  retreat.  John  is  among  the  foremost  in  pursuit. 
He  wishes  to  revenge  the  death  of  his  friend,  and  is 
dashing  on,  without  feeling  the  weight  of  his  knapsack 
and  arms,  when  he  hears  a  shout  behind  him  :  "  Help  ! 
help  !  Here,  sergeant !"  He  turns,  and  sees  his  colo- 
nel, thrown  from  his  horse,  down  upon  one  knee,  and 
his  sword  broken.  Six  Indians,  concealed  in  a  thicket, 
had  fired  at  and  wounded  him.  He  had  killed  one, 
who,  thinking  him  dead,  had  rushed  out  to  scalp  him ; 
but  the  five  others  were  now  charging  on  him.  John 
flew  to  the  rescue,  and  handled  his  bayonet  so  well, 


LITTLE-JOHN.  201 


that  in  an  instant  he  knocked  out  the  eye  of  one,  and 
ran  another  through  the  body.     The  colonel,  finding 
one  of  his  pistols  still  loaded,  shot  down  a  third.     T' 
two  turned  and  fled,  and  John  brought  clown  another 
with  his  gun. 

Two  days  after,  the  troops  were  reviewed.  John 
was  ordered  to  step  to  the  front,  and  was  thanked  in 
the  presence  of  the  whole  army,  for  his  bravery  in 
savins;  his  colonel's  life. 

John's  term  of  service  was  about  expiring.  The 
colonel  sent  for  him,  and  said :  "  You  brought  me  as- 
sistance when  I  lay  wounded  and  fainting  in  the  pub- 
lic road  ;  and  recently  you  saved  my  life.  These  are 
things  not  to  be  forgotten.  If  you  will  consent  to  re- 
main in  the  service,  I  will  pledge  myself  to  get  you  a 
lieutenant's  commission  in  three  months  ;  and  it  will 
not  be  my  fault  if  you  do  not  one  day  become  a  colo- 
nel." Little-John  blushed,  and  remained  a  moment 
silent  with  embarrassment.  Then  he  replied,  with 
emotion  :  "  I  thank  you,  colonel,  with  all  my  heart, 
and  I  will  never  forget  your  kindness.  If  I  were  alone 
in  the  world,  I  would  gratefully  accept  your  offer. 
But  I  have,  at  home,  a  sister  that  requires  my  protec- 
tion, and  an  old  friend  that  looks  upon  me  as  his  son. 
Now,  that  I  have  paid  my  debt  to  the  country,  in 
fighting  my  best,  I  prefer  returning  home  to  my  friends 
and  acquaintances,  to  the  plough  and  spade;  and. to 
see  again,  every  Sunday,  beneath  the  willow-tree,  my 
grandmother's  tomb."     "  Go,  then,"  said  the  colonel, 


202  LITTLE- JOHN, 


squeezing  his  hand  ;  "  yours  is  a  noble  heart.  Do  you 
not  forget  me ;  I  will  not  fail  to  remember  you." 

John  returned  joyously  to  his  home.  Old  Tom  was 
yet  alive,  and  assembled  all  the  boys  to  give  him  three 
cheers  as  he  entered  the  village.  Louisa  could  scarce- 
ly recognise  him  with  his  uniform,  sunburnt  face,  and 
moustache.  She  had  married  an  industrious  mechanic, 
and  John  took  great  delight  in  riding  her  two  beautiful 
little  children  on  his  knee. 

As  everybody  knew  of  John's  honesty  and  industry 
he  was  never  out  of  work.  When  he  had  laid  by 
enough,  and  was  certain  that  he  could  undertake  to 
support  a  family,  he  addressed  one  of  the  grand-daugh- 
ters of  old  Annette,  at  the  burnt-house.  She  was 
poor,  but  he  had  remarked  her  when  she  was  a  little 
child,  the  first  time  that  Uncle  Tom  had  taken  him 
there.  Her  name  was  Mary.  He  had  observed  that 
she  was  always  cheerful,  obliging,  and  industrious  ; 
and,  although  he  had  said  nothing;  about  it  to  the 
colonel,  the  memory  of  this  amiable  girl  might  very 
well  have  been  one  of  the  reasons  for  his  return  home. 
Old  Annette  was  delighted  with  the  match.  The 
wedding-day  wTas  fixed,  and  though  very  happy,  John 
soon  had  cause  to  be  more  so.  A  neighboring  land- 
holder  agreed  to  rent  him  a  small  farm  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. There  was  a  small  but  excellent  house  up- 
on it,  the  outbuildings  in  perfect  repair,  and  the  land 
first-rate.  He  was  to  take  possession  on  his  wedding- 
day ;  so  that  after  the  ceremony,  which  took  place  at 


LITTLE-JOHN.  203 


the  burnt-house,  he  and  his  pretty  wife  returned  joy- 
ously to  their  new  dwelling.  He  was  much  astonished 
as  he  entered  to  find  a  gentleman  there  waiting  for 
him.  It  was  the  colonel ;  who,  pressing  his  hand 
affectionately,  said  :  "  As  I  was  passing  through  here 
last  month,  I  learned  that  you  were  to  be  married.  I 
wished  to  bring  you  a  wedding  present.  I  have  a 
right  to  do  so,  as  I  shall  always  be  your  debtor. 
This  morning,  during  your  absence,  I  had  the  closets 
supplied  with  house  linen.  I  have  put  in  the  cellar 
and  elsewhere  all  the  supplies  that  you  will  need  for  a 
year  ;  and  in  the  stable  you  will  find  two  cows  and 
two  horses.  And  here  is  something,"  added  he,  as  he 
handed  John  a  packet,  "  that  you  must  not  open  until 
to-morrow.  I  hope  it  will  please  you  ;  and  now,  good- 
by — remember  me  should  you  ever  want  a  friend," — 
and  the  colonel  was  off  without  waiting  for  thanks. 

John  and  his  wife  were  very  curious  to  know  what 
was  in  the  paper,  and  they  were  overjoyed  on  opening 
it  the  next  day  to  find  themselves  the  owners  of  the 
farm  instead  of  being  the  tenants.  The  colonel  had 
bought  and  paid  for  every  thing  in  their  name.  John 
was  a  good  farmer,  beloved  by  his  family,  esteemed 
and  respected  by  his  neighbors.  He  had  several  chil- 
dren, that  he  brought  up  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  in  the 
love  and  practice  of  every  virtue.  Every  thing  around 
him  was  peaceful  and  happy.  Old  Uncle  Tom  sur- 
vived long  enough  to  aid  him  with  his  good  counsel, 
and  to  become  as  beloved  by  his  children  as  he  was 


204 


LITTLE-JOH] 


by  their  father.  Louisa  continued  to  inhabit  the  cot- 
tage in  which  John  had  been  brought  up.  Industry, 
order,  cleanliness,  and  peace  always  reigned  within  it ; 
and  for  many  a  year  the  poor  as  they  passed  the  village 
could  always  find  shelter  and  bread  beneath  the  roof 
of  good  old  Margaret's  cottage. 


THE    END. 


